


By Mistake Or Design

by poprockshawty



Series: Between My Heartstrings [5]
Category: EXO (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Angst, EXO Big Bang Round 1, F/M, Fluff, Furniture Shopping, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24110668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poprockshawty/pseuds/poprockshawty
Summary: Irene is a single mother who has made more mistakes than she can mend. But if these mistakes are what lead her to cross paths with Junmyeon, then perhaps it’s not so bad after all.written for the EXO Big Bang Event
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kim Junmyeon | Suho
Series: Between My Heartstrings [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1016010
Comments: 30
Kudos: 39
Collections: EXO Big Bang Writing Event





	1. A Day In The Life Of Irene Bae

**Author's Note:**

  * For [canlieyixing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/canlieyixing/gifts).



It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single mother in possession of her own business, must be in want of a husband.

Not Irene, though. Acquiring a husband, or even a boyfriend, was the last thing on her mind as she arrived at the furniture store that she owned and managed.

“Kyungsoo-ya,” she said, greeting her closest friend and only employee with considerably less mirth than she would carry on usual days. “Good morning.”

“Hey, good morning,” Kyungsoo replied, emerging from behind a particularly tall wardrobe. He was evidently in good spirits, having just opened up the store for the day and looking forward to welcoming customers and business. “Did you sleep well?”

“Unfortunately not,” she answered with a sigh. “I’ve been having nightmares.”

“About your exes again?” He asked softly.

“Yeah.” She nodded reluctantly. “And my daughter didn’t really want to cooperate this morning.”

He giggled at the mention of 4-year-old Joy. “How did you manage to persuade her then? Did Penny the Penguin help?”

“I wish that would’ve done the trick. You know she _loves_ Penny the Penguin —”

“I do indeed. She loves it because she loves the person who bought it for her.” He laughed, pointing at himself.

“True that,” she replied, beginning to smile. “I can usually manage to coax her into behaving herself with some help from Penny the Penguin. But not this morning. She had to watch the entire episode of Powerpuff Girls until the theme tune at the end _completely_ finishes, _and_ do Seulgi’s full choreo to Wow Thing before she was willing to put on her socks and shoes.”

“I bet she dances well,” he commented sweetly.

“She does. I’d let her dance all she wants, if we weren’t in such a hurry to leave the house,” she said. Kyungsoo watched as her smile became more bittersweet. “You know, I just wonder how different my life would be, if I had been able to debut with Seulgi all these years ago.”

He nodded. Irene did not need to say it aloud; Kyungsoo already knew that when it came to Seulgi, Irene had bigger regrets than not being able to debut as an idol.

“Perhaps Joy wouldn’t even be born,” he pointed out. “If you had really gone on to pursue the idol life.”

She nodded as well. “And now Joy is the one watching Seulgi on TV, listening to her music, dancing along to it…” she sighed. “She feels so distant and unreachable now. Like I see her face everywhere, but always on a screen, on billboards, banners, posters, magazine covers...and then I catch myself thinking about how close she and I used to be. It’s been so many years now, and we’ve been leading such different lives. She probably doesn’t even remember me anymore.”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t just forget her BFF just like that,” Kyungsoo replied, eager to reassure her.

“ _Ex_ -BFF,” she corrected him, with painful emphasis on the fact that she and Seulgi had been estranged for a number of years. “And I know it’s my fault that we’ve parted ways.”

“I get that you feel bad about your choices in the past…but maybe you don’t have to be so hard on yourself,” he said softly.

She chuckled bitterly. “I was stupid enough to make the decision to have an affair with a married woman just because she was the CEO of one of the leading entertainment companies in South Korea. Stupid of me to think that it would help advance the career that Seulgi and I were trying to build, only for us to have a fallout in the end. Our duo wouldn’t have disbanded if I hadn’t agreed to become Jung Mijoo’s side hoe. And Seulgi’s success is proof enough that it wasn’t necessary for me to throw my moral standards away. And now, I’ve lost my best friend _and_ my potential career. Wow, no wonder I have nightmares. I’m the one bringing this upon myself.”

“Irene, _no_ ,” Kyungsoo asserted. “I’m sad to see you blaming yourself for this. You might have made poor decisions in the past, but to ruminate over them and to cage yourself in endless guilt...it’s just destructive. It’s not going to help you rebuild your friendship with Seulgi.”

“Let’s not forget she’s a celebrity now, and I doubt it’s possible for me to personally contact her, as much as I would love to get back in touch with her, somehow.”

“Aren’t you still friends with some of the producers you and Seulgi worked with when you two were still in a band together?” He asked. “That producer trio?”

“Yeah, I guess you can say I’m closest with Baekhyun since we’ve known each other for the longest time,” she answered with a shrug. “But...I wouldn’t want to trouble him. He probably still works with Seulgi sometimes and I don’t want to make things awkward for him.”

Kyungsoo stifled a sigh. He had known for a long time that Irene did not like having to rely on others — she would rather be the person that people leaned on. But when _she_ was the one to need someone to lean on, he hoped that people would do the same for her as well.

“It’s alright,” she added after taking a deep breath. “I’ll see if I can casually bring up the topic of Seulgi next time I meet up with Baekhyun.”

* * *

After a long day at work, it was time for Irene to pick her daughter up from the daycare center. She had gotten used to this routine and so had Kyungsoo, who was tasked with tidying up and closing up the store later on.

When Joy saw her mother, she dropped the toy in her hand and hurriedly got up to waddle over to Irene.

“Eomma!” She called out merrily, so very excited to see her mother. This and her smiling face never failed to warm Irene’s heart. She picked Joy up and kissed her daughter on the top of her head.

“Did you have a good day, my love?” Irene asked happily as she slowly and gently put Joy down.

Joy chewed on her lip and thought hard for a moment before shaking her head.

“No? Why not?”

Joy pouted and looked in her friend Yeri’s direction. The two children had been playing together ever since they met at the daycare. Irene knew about this, but she was also aware that she hardly ever saw Yeri in the evening. This was because Yeri’s parents — or guardian, whatever — tended to pick her up at an earlier time slot than the usual time at which Irene would be able to make it to the daycare. In the morning, Yeri was also dropped off at the daycare way earlier than Irene and Joy would arrive, so Irene was surprised to see Yeri still there.

“Eomma, come here.” Joy tugged at her mother’s hand and led her to where she and Yeri were originally seated, playing together. Irene could only oblige, sitting down next to Joy who seemed to not quite want to leave just yet.

“Eomma, look! I drawed this,” Joy announced proudly, pointing at some of the drawings on the table. “And Yeri drawed _this_ , and then we drawed _that_ together!”

“You drew this? It’s beautiful,” Irene replied appreciatively. As Joy explained their drawings with enthusiasm, Irene noticed that Yeri stayed silent, if not a bit sad. Yeri occasionally looked up to stare at Irene, but blankly and absentmindedly as she continued to toy with the crayon in her hand. This made Irene wonder if Yeri’s apparent mood had anything to do with her unusually long stay at the daycare today.

When the front door was pushed open rather abruptly, the kids did not pay attention to it but Irene did, as did the daycare staff.

“I’m so sorry for the delay,” said the man who just entered and immediately started to explain that something happened at work. From what Irene overheard, it seemed like he was rather firm on leaving work punctually every day, but clearly there was an emergency today that held him back and prevented him from arriving on time.

“I would’ve called the center to notify you,” he added apologetically. “Unfortunately there were so many last-minute setbacks that I just could not excuse myself. I got here as soon as I could.”

“That’s alright,” said one of the employees, who poured a cup of water for the man who looked like he really needed it. “Yeri was expecting you to come pick her up when the clock has one hand pointing at 6 and the other at 12. She’s not too happy about not getting to see her appa when she’s supposed to, but luckily her best friend is keeping her company,” she explained, and pointed in the direction of the room where Yeri was. Without further ado, the man went to his daughter and easily caught her attention.

“Appa!” Yeri was even quicker to rush to her father, never readier to be picked up and soothed after a wait that was quite a bit longer than usual. She was a few months younger than her friend Joy, smaller and her legs shorter too, but when it came to reuniting with her father, nothing could slow her down.

Irene looked on as father and daughter interacted. The two children’s dropoff and pickup times basically never intersected, so she had never even seen Yeri’s father before, but she was certain that she had seen his face somewhere.

“You’re Yeri’s father?” Irene asked out of curiosity, simply itching to find out why she found his face so familiar. He was also quite good-looking; it would not be easy trying to find someone with such handsome features.

“Ah, yes,” he answered, turning to properly look at Irene now. “Wait, you’re Joy’s mother?” He asked, looking surprised. “You wouldn’t happen to be the owner of Red Velvet, would you? The furniture store?”

Irene was both surprised and befuddled. “Yes…” she said hesitantly. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“Oh, yes! I’m an interior designer. A couple months ago I brought a client to your store to look at some furniture items,” he explained. “I think I remember your name. You’re Irene, right? I’m Junmyeon.”

“Yes! I remember now. Your client liked the rugs, right?”

“Sure did! Thank you again for accommodating my request that time, by the way,” he said earnestly. The client they were talking about was only able to meet with them at 10 in the morning, sharp, which was exactly when the store’s opening hours began. Of course, it was going to take some time for Irene to get the store ready for any customers, and it was also on that very day that Kyungsoo was out of town and therefore unavailable. Junmyeon had to specifically ask if it would be possible for Irene to open the store just slightly earlier, and was super relieved when she agreed.

“No problem. I totally understand it’s not always easy to match our schedules with clients’ schedules. Besides, you sounded really sincere,” she replied with a slight smile. Smiling at herself, actually, because deep down inside, some part of her knew that she agreed to that special request not just because of how sincere Junmyeon sounded but also _at least_ partly because of his good looks. “You know, I actually went to the store expecting you’d turn up late anyway. _But_ I was pleasantly surprised to see that you got there early, just drinking coffee right in front of my store, taking a look at your files while we waited for your client.”

“I really do try to be punctual!” He insisted. “Today was a bad example, I suppose, but _definitely_ an exception. There’s been a policy change at the firm and we employees are having a bit of a hard time adjusting to it. From now on I can only make it to the daycare at around this hour — and that reminds me, I’d have to let the staff know about this arrangement. Anyway, yeah, I put in a special request with you the other day, so of course I couldn’t possibly show up late!”

“I’m glad to hear that. Just that I heard the traffic was especially bad that morning, because of a fallen tree that was on one of the roads between your firm and my store. I really thought I’d get there early just for nothing.” She let out a small chuckle, amused to see that for once she was the opposite of disappointed when it came to men and the promises they made.

“Nah, you’ve been so helpful, I wouldn’t dare further inconvenience you,” he replied and laughed gently. “Ah, I didn’t know back then that we actually come here every day but just never got to meet!”

“Yeah, me neither.” She smiled. “I...don’t get me wrong, but I honestly didn’t expect that you’re a father.”

“I don’t look like a father?” He giggled.

“Well...you look single,” she answered honestly, and shot ever so brief a glance at Junmyeon’s hands to see if he had a wedding ring on or perhaps an uneven tan where she would expect a ring to be.

“I _am_ single,” he revealed lightheartedly, and winked.

“I see.”

“Eomma, I’m hungry!” Joy stated, tugging at Irene’s sleeve for emphasis. “Hungry!”

“Appa, I’m hungry too!” Yeri chimed in, looking at Junmyeon expectantly.

“OK, we should probably go,” said Irene, standing up. As they took their leave, it was time for the two children to say goodbye.

“Goodbye, Yeri. See you tomorrow,” said Joy politely. “Goodbye, bunny-ahjussi,” she added. “See you tomorrow too.”

Junmyeon grinned. “I'm bunny-ahjussi?”

Joy nodded confidently, pointing at the bunny trinket that was tied to his work bag. “Bunny. I like.”

Irene smiled to herself. The bunny trinket was cute. She did not expect that it would be attached to any object that belonged to a man — most men would be quick to avoid getting associated with this kind of ‘cute’ stuff, deeming it too girly and not manly enough for them. This kind of fragile masculinity was sickening but hey, Junmyeon right here seemed super comfortable with it. This was refreshing!

“You hear that, Yeri-ya?” Junmyeon gently booped his daughter on the nose. “Your friend likes the bunny trinket you picked for appa. Aren’t you happy about that?”

Yeri grinned shyly and nodded, before waving goodbye at Joy and Irene.


	2. Daughters

After closing the store, Kyungsoo went to a nearby restaurant to meet up with Irene and Joy for dinner. Throughout the meal, Joy explained to Uncle Kyungsoo what she also explained to her mother earlier about her drawings. It made Irene smile heartily to see the way Uncle Kyungsoo listened patiently and gave Joy all the praises and encouragement she wanted.

When they had finished eating, they left the restaurant and took the escalator down to the ground floor where the exit was. On the way, Joy piped up.

“Eomma,” said Joy innocently. “Why don't _I_ have an appa?”

Irene froze, and Kyungsoo quickly turned around, glancing back and forth between mother and daughter. He was aware that that was a very sensitive question for Irene, but also recognized that Joy had every right to ask. Understandably, she was probably curious about this since she saw Yeri and Junmyeon interacting, and their father-daughter dynamic seemed to be enviable.

Kyungsoo noticed that Irene was gripping the handrail so tightly that her knuckles were white. She could not find the right words to say, not wanting to lie to her daughter and yet she could not find it in her to simply tell the truth either. Her heart was racing and she felt a worse kind of nervousness than when she attended job interviews. Above that, there was sorrow in her eyes. Remorse, too, and a hint of disappointment. She perceived her relationship with Joy’s father to be a mistake. Joy’s existence was probably already the best part of it. It was such a complicated relationship and not even Irene herself could fully understand why or how this relationship happened in the first place, let alone be able to find a way to explain it to Joy in terms that a 4-year-old would understand.

“Hey, Joy,” Kyungsoo chimed in, the excitement in his voice coming across as a surprise to Irene who was just aghast. “Look! There’s a claw machine over there!” He pointed, and it took Joy a split second to direct her attention to the claw machine, completely forgetting what she was asking her mother about.

“Let’s go!” She squealed, about to whiz all the way down to the bottom of the escalator. Kyungsoo managed to predict this behavior and made sure to grab Joy’s hand securely before accompanying her to where the claw machine was. Irene trailed behind them slowly, still trying to calm herself from her thoughts and the emotional turmoil that her memories could invoke.

“Thanks,” said Irene to Kyungsoo afterward. If not for Kyungsoo thinking on his feet and coming up with a timely distraction for Joy, Irene was not sure how she was going to be able to avert the crisis.

“No problem,” Kyungsoo replied. “Although, you know you can’t indefinitely avoid that question right? She’s bound to wonder.”

“I’m mindful of that. It’s just that, well, you know how it all went down between me and her father. I left him on a whim, as soon as I found out the ugly truth about him and decided that he was definitely not someone I could possibly co-parent with,” Irene explained. “That’s not something I expect Joy to be able to understand, you know.”

“I get what you’re saying,” said Kyungsoo. “You must’ve been thinking about this for a long time too, and I agree it’s not easy to come up with an adequate answer. I suppose it can’t be rushed, though.”

“You’re right to say that I can’t run away from this forever. The sooner I settle this, the better. But I’m honestly just so tired,” Irene admitted. “And I don’t want to think about it.”

“That’s okay. I understand,” replied Kyungsoo, who then gave his friend a reassuring and sympathetic nod. “Since you seem to have dodged the question for now, why don’t you two just go home and get some rest first?”

* * *

Partly out of guilt for not being able to offer a decent explanation to Joy when she asked _that_ question, for the rest of the night Irene much more easily gave in to Joy’s other requests, such as getting to play games on her mother’s phone.

As expected, Joy remained quiet and engrossed in the game, which left Irene to do the chores without too many interruptions. That was the case until she heard Joy speaking, and it sounded as if she was talking to someone over the phone.

“Hello?” Joy began cutely as she lifted the phone and pressed it to her ear. “Who are you?”

Noting the frown on Joy’s face which conveyed all her bewilderment, Irene placed the vacuum cleaner aside and made her way over to where Joy was. Gladly, Joy handed the phone back to her mother and Irene took over.

“Hello?” Irene began politely, not quite knowing what to expect since the incoming call was from a number that was not saved in her contacts.

“Hahaha...ah...yeah...hehe...hey...I miss you…”

At first it was difficult to even make out the words that the person on the other end of the line was saying, but one thing was unmistakable: their voice. Irene remembered that voice as clear as day. Her heart sank and she shut her eyes as the inevitable realization came. The caller was her ex, Joy’s father.

“Ooh...that night…” he carried on, _clearly_ drunk. “That night on the yacht...oof! Best night ever.”

Irene cringed, knowing exactly what he meant and which night he was referring to. Personally, she enjoyed that night at least as much as he did, but she did not miss being in his company. Rolling her eyes, she decided she was not going to waste time on him anymore. His drinking problem was just one of the many reasons why she would not want Joy to have that kind of a father.

She hung up by aggressively hitting the ‘end call’ button a few more times than necessary. Sighing, she put her phone away, but then changed her mind and decided to block that number first. She had already blocked the number that he had been using while they were still together, and had done so once she decided to leave him. Perhaps he got a new number or whatever, but she was going to do all that she could to block him out. Not a good idea to let him occupy any mental space.

“Eomma, who was that?” Joy asked curiously, unbeknownst to her father’s proclivity to ruin her mother’s mood. It was so ironic to think about how, when they were dating, Irene was always in the best mood when she was with him. And now…

“It’s just a junk call,” Irene answered with a forced smile. She hated lying but, hey, it was already as close to the truth as possible. That ex was trash anyway, so a call from him was really not that different than a junk call.

“Okay,” said Joy with a shrug, still in a good mood. She looked as if she wanted to carry on playing games, but then she yawned, and that gave Irene the perfect excuse.

“Right! It’s time for bed,” Irene cooed. “Do you remember what we have to do before bed?”

Joy blinked and merely started to giggle. Irene then started to pretend she was brushing her teeth, and then Joy got the hint.

“Brush teeth!” She stated cheerily, too happy to get it right. But then she shook her head and made a face. “No, no, no.”

“You don’t wanna brush your teeth?”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Oh...but all princesses brush their teeth. Aren’t you a princess too?” Irene asked, hoping this was going to work.

“I am!” Joy declared, grinning widely. “I am Princess Joy of Velvet Nation!”

“Yes, you are!” Irene smiled too, taking her daughter’s hand. “Now, Princess Joy, would you like to go and brush your teeth?”

* * *

Traffic on Sunday was bound to be heavy, but it was still relatively early in the day so it was not too bad just yet. That was the perfect time for Junmyeon and Yeri to leave the house and be on their way to a relative’s place.

“Yeri-ya,” said Junmyeon affectionately as he started driving. “Where are we going today?”

Yeri smiled innocently. “Where?”

“Do you remember who we’re going to go see today?” Junmyeon asked.

That rang a bell. “Cousin Chanyeol!” Yeri answered enthusiastically.

“That's right! We’re going to Cousin Chanyeol’s place today,” Junmyeon announced. “Are you excited?”

“Yes!” She squealed and then clapped her hands.

“Appa is excited too,” Junmyeon replied with a smile.

Technically, Chanyeol was cousins with Yeri’s mother, Chorong, who was Junmyeon’s deceased ex-wife. Junmyeon and Chanyeol remained friends, however, and Yeri absolutely adored Chanyeol. Hardly anything could make her happier than to get to meet up with Chanyeol, and he was equally fond of getting to babysit her.

Once they arrived and Chanyeol opened the door, Yeri broke into the broadest grin ever and exclaimed, “Cousin Chanyeol!” She ran into his arms and he picked her up effortlessly.

“Ah, Yeri-ya,” Chanyeol smiled. “You’ve grown so much taller since the last time we saw each other! Have you missed Cousin Chanyeol?”

Yeri nodded proudly. “Appa also!” She announced.

“Oh, your appa also missed me?” Chanyeol asked, grinning at his late cousin’s ex-husband. “Junmyeon, is that true?”

“Naturally I miss my most trusted babysitter,” Junmyeon joked as he helped Yeri take off her shoes. “And I miss your food too.”

“I knew you would. I made pasta,” Chanyeol revealed. “You want coffee?”

“Sure,” Junmyeon answered casually and then brought Yeri to wash her hands.

When they finished lunch, Junmyeon asked with a more serious tone, “Chanyeol, you’re fine with looking after Yeri for the rest of the afternoon, right? You know what day it is today.”

Chanyeol nodded somewhat solemnly. “I’ll be here to take care of Yeri. Don’t worry about it. Just go. Take as much time as you need.”

* * *

Leaving Yeri with Chanyeol for a few hours, Junmyeon drove to the cemetery on his own. Locating his ex-wife’s grave, he sat down quietly and sighed. For a few moments, he said nothing, just thinking about the relationship that they shared, about the daughter that they shared. Every year on Chorong’s death anniversary, Junmyeon would visit her grave and have a ‘talk’ with her.

“Chorong-ah. It’s me. It’s been exactly 3 years since you and Yeri last saw each other,” said Junmyeon when he finally began, when he finally found the words to say. “She was barely a year old when she lost you in that car crash, but now she’s grown up so much, you know. Funny how time flies.”

Pausing, he smiled faintly and then went on.

“She still has that turtle doll that you bought for her. She’s so very fond of it. It’s old, but it always comforts her,” he said. “She brought it with her today as well. We went to visit your cousin Chanyeol.”

He took a deep breath, looking around him, looking to the trees, the grass, the mountains...it was easy to feel small and even powerless in the face of matters of life and death.

“I’m just thinking about what I said to you when I went to your funeral. I wish I’d realized it sooner but...I just owe you and Yeri so much, and I’m really doing all that I can to make up for it. Remember back then how much you wanted to have children but I didn’t at all? And how much of a workaholic I was? The way I wanted career advancement above all else?” He smiled wryly. “Well, things are so different now, and I’ve changed a lot. You’ll probably be pleased to hear that I’m doing my absolute best to stick to a very regular work schedule now, and I’m also trying my best to make as much time for Yeri as possible. I didn’t expect that I’d be making these changes to my lifestyle and work schedule either, especially since I never really liked kids. But...Yeri is not just any kid, you know. She’s _our_ kid. She’s already lost her mother; there’s no way I’m going to deprive her of her father too,” he explained calmly. “And now, having to raise her and having to be a good father to her — this is the first time in my life that I’m fully committed to something that isn’t my job. It’s really quite different than the life I’d envisioned for myself, but I swear I love Yeri so much...so much that I can’t do without her.”

Slowly, he placed a bouquet of dark crimson roses on her grave, and then slowly stood up.

“I just want to let you know that she’s in good hands,” he added in reassurance. “I hope that brings you peace. Rest well, Chorong-ah.”


	3. Wendy

For Irene, weekdays and weekends were not really that different. Her furniture store was open every day of the week anyway, just that the opening hours were extended on weekends.

This weekend, however, was special because two people who meant a lot to Irene were back in town. One of them was her own mother coming back from a trip, and the other was her old friend Wendy who had always been studying and working abroad. This combination was perfect because Joy had been itching to stay at her grandmother’s place, and so Irene was happy to let grandmother and granddaughter spend some quality time together. It gave her some much-needed free time to meet up with Wendy and to do things that Irene had not been able to do when she was busy attending to Joy, such as drinking. She was so glad that she finally had the chance to reconnect with Wendy, finding themselves catching up at a bar.

“Gosh, I can’t believe how long it’s been since we last got to meet up!” Wendy gushed. “Last time we saw each other, your daughter wasn’t even born yet.”

Irene’s eyes widened. “It’s been _that_ long?!”

“Yeah! You kept telling me that you were gonna rant to me in person about your shitty ex, but then you never did,” Wendy replied. “So, what’s the tea? I’m all ears.”

Irene sighed. “Which ex was I referring to?”

Wendy paused. “There’s been more than one bad relationship?”

“Two, actually,” said Irene dully.

“Alright, I’m ready.”

Irene took a sip from her cocktail and then began. “About 6 years ago, when Seulgi and I were still very much best friends, we were hoping to get to debut as a duo in the music industry. We had some connections, as you know. You remember that extremely popular kid from our university, Byun Baekhyun?”

“I do indeed.” Wendy nodded. “I also remember his very good-looking friend — I think his name was Park Chanyeol.”

“Right. So, the two of them and their other co-founder, Wu Yifan, had connections to some of the most important people in the music industry, one of them being Jung Mijoo, who is the CEO of Irons Entertainment.”

“Wait, that’s the agency that Krystal Jung is under, right?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” Irene answered. “Seulgi and I got acquainted with the CEO, and we were hoping maybe she’d be interested in the kind of music we make and that perhaps she’d see potential in our ability to sing and dance and rap well.”

“Well, she’d be blind to not see that,” Wendy commented.

“I think she certainly saw that in us. But she was also after something else. Something more,” Irene went on. “She was still married to her first wife at the time of our acquaintance —”

“Oh, that model, right? Seoyoon?”

“That’s the one. They were still married at the time but the CEO approached me and told me that if I would be willing to sleep with her, she could most definitely help me and Seulgi build our name in the industry.”

Wendy gasped. “And you took her up on that offer?”

“Regrettably, I did,” Irene revealed. “It was a means to an end. If she could help me and Seulgi advance our career development, why not? I didn’t see a downside to it, but now, looking back, that was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Seulgi had advised me against having that affair. Said there was just something about that CEO that rubbed her the wrong way. But I ignored her warning and went ahead and agreed to Mijoo’s terms anyway. And ultimately, that led to my fallout with Seulgi. You know she strongly believed that she and I would be able to debut and become a successful duo anyway, based on our talent and hard work. So she absolutely disapproved of my decision as it crossed her moral boundaries. It became, well, an irreconcilable difference between us. So we sort of disbanded and went our separate ways. And indeed, Seulgi sure has proven to be right when she said that she was going to make it anyway, and that she would not have to rely on any ‘immoral’ means to achieve her ends. As you can see, she’s one of the most successful soloists these days.”

“I see…” Wendy replied. “So that’s why you two aren’t friends anymore. And then, what happened to the affair between you and Jung Mijoo? She eventually got a divorce, though, didn’t she?”

“Yes, but even before her divorce was finalized, I’d already discovered that she was cheating on her wife with a lot of other people. I was just one out of her many playthings. It’s as if promiscuity is her prerogative or something. So, I didn’t like that, and I called it quits with her. Not that I really had the right to feel disrespected by the lack of exclusivity since _I_ was the ‘other woman’ in the first place, but yeah. I ended that brief affair, left her unfaithful ass, and decided to seek another line of work. Funnily enough, it was also Baekhyun who helped me land this new job, as a party planner.”

“A party planner? Sounds fun!” Wendy remarked. “So were you in charge of organizing, like, yacht charters or something? I’ve always thought that those are really cool.”

“Yacht charter, yeah, that’s exactly what I was about to say. During one of those charters, the client’s request included wait staff at the party, so of course, I kept that in mind and made sure the client got what they signed up for. But then some of the wait staff that we originally arranged for that occasion fell ill from food poisoning literally the day before the party.”

“Oh, shit…” Wendy gulped. “You know, if I were in your shoes, I really don’t know how in the world I would have handled that.”

“That was a disaster. An utter disaster, I swear. The company needed someone to substitute at the last minute, and so, I ended up there as one of the waitresses.”

Wendy almost spat out her drink. “What?! You?!”

“Well, excuse you, I made a competent waitress.” Irene folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

“I’m sure you did.” Wendy giggled. “But you went there utterly unprepared!”

“I did, but what other choice did we have, honestly? We didn’t want to let our client and the guests down.”

“So did the charter go smoothly in the end?” Wendy asked.

“Yes, I’d say it was a success, given the last-minute changes we made,” Irene replied.

“Must’ve been a very memorable experience.”

“Yes, very. But not just for that reason. It’s because of one of the guests I met at the charter.”

“I sense trouble…” said Wendy.

“Not just trouble. Chaos,” Irene continued. “One of the guests there, his name is Park Jinsong. He’s a bit older than me, 6 years actually. Point is, he’s hot as fuck. So, we had hot sex on the yacht.”

Wendy’s jaw dropped. “Girl, I can’t believe you did that! So scandalous...but I bet that was...fun.”

“Actually, he’s very good in bed,” Irene pointed out, more shamelessly than she would have been if she had not been drinking. “I think that’s the only thing about him that I hardly have any criticism of.”

“Alright, but why do you hate him?”

“Because, personality-wise, he’s a piece of shit,” Irene explained. “I don’t know why I keep ending up getting sexually involved with people who are pathological cheaters, but it turns out that he was no different than Mijoo.”

“He’s married as well?!”

“Engaged. But same thing, right? Turns out his fiancée was this _really_ rich woman and their relationship is super unstable, like they break up all the time but also get back together every single time...ugh, I don’t know. It’s a mess. They’re a mess. He’s a mess and I’m a mess too.” Irene huffed. “How exhilarating it is to find out that _once again_ , I’m the ‘other woman’, huh?”

“Oh, I’d be absolutely thrilled,” said Wendy monotonously.

“Except this time, it’s way worse than with Mijoo,” Irene stated.

“Why’s that?”

“It went from worse to worser when I learned that I was pregnant. With Jinsong’s kid. I was _just_ about to decide on how to tell him about the baby, but then I made the shocking discovery that he was, in fact, a cheating piece of shit! So, I couldn’t stand it, and I left him. I didn’t give him any explanation; I just left. And I didn’t look back. I blocked his number, quit my job, and pretty much skipped town. I was just so devastated by the way my love life is a complete catastrophe.”

“I wish it weren't that way, but I'd have to agree with you on that last part.” Wendy smiled wryly. “I remember your first ever boyfriend.”

Irene grimaced. “Yeah, he pretty much just neglected me the whole time we were together.”

“And your second boyfriend.”

“Oh, gosh. Such a momma’s boy. No independent thinking whatsoever. Makes me wonder if I actually dated _him_ or just cognitively dated his mother.”

“And your third.”

“He was the opposite of the second one. Didn't want _me_ to have any independent thinking.” Irene sighed and buried her face in her hands for a moment. “Why do I live like this? I mean, true that I made some awful, awful decisions on impulse but...I don’t know, I was really just trying to do what’s best for me, and also what’s best for the baby.”

“Ah, so that’s where Joy came from…” Wendy replied. “You’re better off without all these cheaters in your life and Joy’s anyway. Can’t imagine Joy growing up with _that_ kind of a father around her.”

Irene nodded in agreement and downed the rest of her drink. “My thoughts exactly.”

“But didn’t that Jinsong guy look for you?”

“He did. At first. But I made it clear that I did not want to be found. And I think he doesn’t even care about me and our relationship enough to carry on trying to contact me. After all, he does have a fiancée and most likely other side hoes to be dividing his attention between, so he’s a busy guy and I’m not that worthy of his time, nor is he worthy of mine. I’m just fine without him, and a couple years ago, I started my own furniture store,” said Irene, a proud smile beginning to show on her face. “When my father passed away due to sickness, he gave half his money to my mother and the rest to me. I still remember what he said to me and my mother right before he passed away. He talked about all the trips that he promised he’d take my mother on, but hadn’t yet been able to fulfill. Still, he wanted her to be able to go and see the world and enjoy travelling. He wanted her to live her best life, and he would live on vicariously through her.”

“Aww…that’s so sweet.”

“I know, right.” Irene sighed. “I’ve always wished for a love like my parents’, but obviously I’ve never had it in all 28 years of my life, and I really don’t know if I ever will.”

“Oh, come on, you will. I’m sure of it,” said Wendy cheerfully.

Irene shrugged. “I don’t even have time to date. I’m a busy woman, you know. That’s where the word ‘business’ comes from. ‘Busy-ness’.”

“Still, you at least like what you’re doing right now, don’t you?”

“I do. I think it’s something that I enjoy doing, running my own business. And my father wanted me to use his money wisely, to do something meaningful, to do something that makes me happy. So, I used that money to set up my furniture store, and that way I’d be honoring my father’s wishes too.”

“That’s great,” Wendy replied proudly. “What’s the name of your store again?”

“Red Velvet.”

“Wait — isn’t that the name of the duo that you and Seulgi…”

“Yes,” Irene admitted quietly. “I miss her a lot.”

“I can definitely understand that,” said Wendy. “You two were so close back then; I never thought it was even possible that the two of you would disagree and eventually end up like this.”

“If I had just known that I would lose my friendship with her...I would _never_ have agreed to get in bed with Jung Mijoo,” said Irene fiercely, firmly gripping the glass in her hand although the ice-cold surface was numbing. “You know, Kyungsoo said to me just the other day that I should try to get back in touch with Seulgi. Like, possibly through Baekhyun. I think he still works with her from time to time.”

“That’s a good idea!” Wendy agreed immediately.

“You reckon it’ll work?”

“I certainly hope so. But if you never try, then you’ll never know,” Wendy pointed out. “Seulgi means so much to you. Anyone who knows you would know that. So, you’re going to try, right?”

Irene stifled a sigh and slowly nodded. “I suppose I will try.”


	4. Rain, Rain, Go Away.

The next weekend was spent in a drastically different way. It was pouring outside, but Joy’s mood was not at all adversely affected by the poor weather. She was very excited to go to her best friend Yeri’s 4th birthday party.

“Eomma, let’s go!” Joy whined. She had been surprisingly cooperative today, putting on her raincoat without a fuss.

“Just give eomma one more moment,” said Irene absentmindedly as she reached for a sturdier umbrella since the strong winds outside were unrelenting.

“Eomma!” Joy stomped her feet impatiently. “Go, go, go!”

“Yes, yes,” Irene replied hurriedly. Taking everything they needed, she and Joy left the house.

Irene sighed once they were outdoors. She hated this weather, but there was nothing she could do about it. She made sure to hold Joy’s hand firmly, treading slowly due to the slippery ground even though she really just wanted to get to Junmyeon’s place as quickly as possible.

“Oh, goodness,” she uttered under her breath. The wind was blowing in every direction and it seemed like even a big umbrella did not help much. She herself was wearing casual clothes that she would not mind throwing into the washing machine the moment she got home, but she took a look at Joy’s outfit — her pretty, brand new rainbow dress — she did not want water or mud to be splashed onto it, or dirtied in any possible way.

Locating the nearest convenience store, the two of them went inside briefly. Irene took off her jacket and wrapped it around Joy to limit the damage that the rain and dirt might cause to such a pretty dress that Joy loved so much.

“Alright, sweetheart, eomma is gonna carry you for a bit,” Irene announced decisively, and Joy did not protest. And so, Irene had her daughter in one arm and her handbag on the other whilst trying to steadily hold the umbrella. With much effort, they made it to the bus stop. Luckily, it did not take too long for the bus to come. Once they got on the vehicle, things got much better.

The bus was quite full of passengers but not to the point where it was extremely crowded. Irene quickly thanked a stranger who offered to give his seat to mother and daughter, and the two of them settled down. Hastily, she made sure Joy was fine, that her hands were warm, and that her dress was fine. It was not until Irene herself sneezed that she realized that she was cold and shivering.

Anyway, it was warm inside the bus and it was not going to be too long a ride. On the way, Irene’s attention was occupied by Joy’s still ebullient mood. Joy was looking out the window and proudly pointed at all the stores she saw on the way. When they were almost there, Joy volunteered to press the bell to signal to the bus driver that they had to alight, and Irene let her.

To Irene’s dismay, the rain had become even heavier, so the walk from the bus stop to Junmyeon’s place was rather unpleasant. Still, they eventually got there.

“Hi.” Irene breathed out in relief once Junmyeon opened the door for them. Even when they were standing outside, they could already hear the other guests laughing and chatting, the kids frolicking and running about.

“Hello! Come on in.” Junmyeon was evidently in good spirits since _he_ had been staying indoors almost all day and did not have to spend a single moment in the pouring rain. “Oh, no,” he added, noticing that Irene’s jeans and shoes had fallen victim to the merciless downpour. Quickly he handed some tissues to her and said, “did you take the bus here? Ah, I’m so sorry, it must’ve been a hassle. I should’ve gone to pick you guys up.”

“Oh, no worries,” Irene replied politely. “I’m sure you’re already busy enough preparing for the party. My daughter and I wouldn’t want to trouble you. Joy,” she said, turning to her daughter. “Would you like to go inside and greet Yeri?”

“All the way in. She’s sitting on her ‘throne’. You can’t miss her,” said Junmyeon, and immediately Joy dashed to the living room, in search of the birthday girl. Irene followed suit, looking for a place to sit while Junmyeon went back into the kitchen to prepare more food and drinks.

Then Irene saw a familiar face. Someone she had known for quite some time, since she was still in university, actually. But she never expected him to be here at Yeri’s birthday party, and wondered how he was acquainted with Yeri and Junmyeon.

“Chanyeol?”

The man smiled and waved at her as he made his way over to her, careful not to trip over some lego blocks that Yeri, Joy, and some other kids had been playing with.

“Hey! It’s been a while,” said Chanyeol with a grin. “I didn’t know you were friends with the Kim family too.”

“Actually, our _daughters_ are friends,” Irene explained. “My daughter Joy is the one in the rainbow dress. She and Yeri have been inseparable since they met at the daycare center. How about you?”

“I see! I...well, I’m Yeri’s _mother_ ’s cousin, actually,” Chanyeol replied. “You must be wondering where her mother is. She, uh, she passed away 3 years ago.”

“Ah,” said Irene quietly. “I’m sorry to hear about that. I didn’t know Junmyeon was a widower.”

“Not exactly. They separated before Yeri was born,” Chanyeol revealed.

“Oh…” _There’s a lot about Junmyeon that I never knew about_ , thought Irene to herself. “Anyway, how have you been doing?”

“Pretty good! You too?”

“Not too bad, I suppose,” she answered. “I would’ve tried to meet up with you and Baekhyun and Yifan more often, but I’m a full-time mother _and_ a full-time businesswoman. I’ve hardly even had the chance to see Baekhyun and Solbin since I went to their wedding.”

“We’ll be sure to invite you next time we have a gathering or something!” Chanyeol offered.

After chatting with Chanyeol, Irene sat down at the dining table and it was also time for the birthday cake to be served. Everybody sang the birthday song for Yeri, the kids practically screaming the song at the top of their lungs, and clapped as she blew out the four candles.

As the guests ate and drank, the adults were happy to remain seated. But the birthday girl and her friends just could not wait to run around and keep playing. During a game of hide-and-seek, one of the kids attempted to hide in the kitchen behind the door, which alerted Chanyeol as it was too dangerous. Then another child started crying for some unknown reason, so Chanyeol had to pacify them. Amidst this mess, Junmyeon was comfortably sitting next to Irene.

“I never knew you and Chanyeol knew each other,” Junmyeon piped up.

“Oh, yeah. We go way back. One of his studio’s co-founders has been friends with me since we were in university,” Irene answered.

“No wonder! Ah, what was your major in university?”

“Music,” she revealed with a small smile. “I know, it’s completely unrelated to what I’m doing now. Then again, I never expected to end up running my own furniture store.”

“For me, I’ve always known that becoming an interior designer was one of the career paths that I was going to pursue,” he replied. “I think I’ve known it since I was maybe...14? Whoa, that’s like...half my life.”

“It must be something you really enjoy, then.”

“Yes, I love it. Perhaps a little too much, though.”

“Too much? What makes you say so?” She asked, and even she herself was mildly surprised that she would actually be curious about him. She had always been under the impression that she was not very good at making small talk, even though she had been told by her former colleagues from the party planner job that once she got into a socializing mood, she could be very good at it.

“Well, I’ve devoted so much of my time to it, so my career in interior design is going great, but I had also neglected to maintain a work-life balance,” he admitted. “So stuff like dating, spending time with my family, making time for my hobbies, taking care of my own health...all of that was put on the back-burner because I used to believe that work was of _paramount_ importance. Of course, I can’t be this selfish anymore — it simply isn’t healthy, nor is it functional. Not to mention I do have a daughter to look after, and I want to set a good example for her. So I’m trying to do that, even though it demands some sacrifices to be made.”

“Oh, I can totally relate to that,” she said right away, feeling that connection between one parent and another. Who knew that bonding over the struggles and joys of parenting could be so effective at pulling them closer to each other? It was also keeping the conversation going, and she thought she sucked at it, but at the moment it felt pretty easy. Perhaps it was not that _she_ was an excellent conversational partner, but just that _Junmyeon_ was one, and that was already good enough. “I like to think it’s worth it, though. Anything for my daughter.”

“I feel the same way,” he replied. “Stuff like time management, prioritizing, knowing when to just say ‘no’ and to give yourself a break...these are skills, I’d say, that I’ve learned from being a parent more than from my work.”

Speaking of work, Irene was reminded of their very first meeting, which was because of work. Of course an interior designer and a furniture store owner would cross paths at work; it was not surprising. But when they met up for work, she noticed that he normally used a ‘work’ voice, or a ‘business’ voice, a ‘serious’ voice when speaking with his clients. Work was work, so she paid more attention to work-related matters than to other factors or possible distractors such as how his voice sounded. Now that they were having a much more casual chat, and considering the fact that they met up at the daycare center pretty much every evening so they had become familiar with each other, she found that his voice was actually very soothing. She could never get fed up with listening to him, and she would want to keep him talking even if the conversational topic might not be something that she was particularly interested in. And yet, he managed to hold her interest! They talked about parenting, about their families, about sports and how much they enjoyed doing Pilates, about the movies they liked to watch...she was so pleased to see that they had common interests. Finally, a man that had yet to disappoint her. Instead, he kept surprising her, just by being himself, and she was kind of impressed.

“Appa! Appa!” Yeri called out as she eagerly made her way to her father, tapping his leg in an attempt to draw his attention. “Dance with us!”

Junmyeon obliged, and Irene watched in contentment as he danced happily with his daughter and her friends. The music they were dancing too was coming from the TV, and Irene could not help but vibe along to it. But then the singer’s voice captured her attention — that was Seulgi’s voice. Soon enough Seulgi’s face was also on the big TV screen.

The smile on Irene’s face turned into a bittersweet one. She sat back and quietly watched everyone else make merry. She honestly missed Seulgi so much, missed all the times they spent dancing and singing together, thinking they were going to keep doing that for the next ten, twenty, thirty years and more together, sharing a stage and staying as a close-knit duo. Little did they know how swiftly things could change.

Bringing Irene out of her nostalgia was the scent of more good food. Junmyeon and Chanyeol carried trays of carrot cake and macarons, carefully placing them onto the table as everybody’s mouths watered at the sight of the scrumptious, irresistible dessert.

“Joy,” said Irene blithely, pointing at the macarons. “Look! There’s your favorite food.”

“Nom-nom,” replied Joy, who then licked her lips and rubbed her hands together. She sat on Irene’s lap and waited to be fed.

“Which flavor would you like?” Irene asked.

“Red flavor!” Joy answered without hesitation.

After eating, Irene made sure to praise Junmyeon’s cooking. “Absolutely delicious,” she commented, unable to hide her smile.

“Thanks! I love baking,” he replied. “And eating, of course. If I had all the time in the world, I’d spend an afternoon just eating sweet stuff, drinking some fruit tea, and reading a novel.”

Irene’s face lit up at the mention of reading books. “You love literature too?”

“Yeah! Almost as much as I love interior design. When I was in high school, I couldn’t decide if I should go for a university degree in interior design or something that had to do with literature. Interior design is certainly something that fascinates me, but it isn’t the same kind of liking — a kind of _passion_ , actually — that I have for literature and reading. Not to say one is above the other; just that it’s a different kind of liking and enjoyment.”

“Then how did you come to that decision in the end?” She asked.

“My father advised me to not turn a passion into a profession,” he revealed. “He had the concern that it might one day end up becoming a chore and therefore extinguish my enthusiasm for it, if it turns into a means for me to make a living. I think he has a point. I suppose it’s also slightly more practical to be working as an interior designer while keeping reading as a hobby, than the other way around.”

She nodded. “My father taught me a lot too. Shared so much of his wisdom with me. I’m sure you’re doing the same with Yeri, right?”

“Well, I try,” he chuckled.

Irene thought everything was going well before she realized that it was not a good idea to be talking about fathers in general. It was not a matter of her own father, or Yeri’s father, or Junmyeon’s father, but the crippling anxiety that she would get if she had to talk about _Joy_ ’s father. If Junmyeon were to ask about it out of curiosity, it would be understandable, but would Irene be able to handle it?

Fortunately for her, Junmyeon did not have the chance to ask about what Irene was dreading.

“Hey,” said Chanyeol merrily, approaching the two of them with a Polaroid camera in hand. “Shall we take some group photos?”


	5. Kyungsoo

“Kyungsoo-ya,” Irene croaked as she talked to Kyungsoo over the phone. It was early in the morning and it was Monday, but Irene was feeling unwell for an utterly different reason.

“Whoa, are you alright?” Kyungsoo asked right away. Irene could not see the frown on his face but could definitely hear his concern. “Your voice…”

“Yeah, I think I’ve caught a cold,” she explained. “And I have a fever too. But at least Joy seems fine.”

“Must’ve been because of the rain yesterday! Have you taken meds yet?”

“Yeah, probably...I’ll do that in a minute,” she replied and sighed weakly. “Kyungsoo, I hate to trouble you, but would you mind to—”

“Oho! You know we’re close enough to not have to worry about troubling each other! Of course I don’t mind. Don’t worry about the store; I’ve got it handled,” he said in reassurance. You just stay home with Joy and take care, alright?”

“Yeah, guess I’m not going anywhere today. That reminds me, I’m gonna have to call the daycare center and tell them Joy won’t be there today,” she said. “Thanks so much. I’m so glad you have my back.”

“No problem at all. Get some rest, okay? Just call me if you need anything.”

* * *

In the evening, Kyungsoo closed the store and went to Irene’s place, just in time for dinner.

“Uncle Soo!” Joy hollered. “Uncle Soo!”

Kyungsoo placed the food that he brought onto the table and then picked Joy up for a bit. “Joy, have you been a good girl today?”

Joy nodded very confidently, but also said, “eomma is sick!”

“Yeah, your eomma must be very tired. Will you be a big girl and take care of eomma too?” He asked.

She nodded again. “Eomma, don’t worry!”

Irene smiled at their interactions. “Thanks, Joy. You’re the sweetest girl.”

“Are you feeling any better now?” Kyungsoo asked as Joy sat down cooperatively. Once his hands were free, he helped Irene with the cutlery.

“Much better,” she answered. “And thanks so much for looking after the store for me. I know it’s no picnic. I would’ve been more of a mess if I had to do without you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he replied as they all sat down and ate. “You wouldn’t have thought twice about doing the same for me if I were the one who needed your help. Oh, by the way, this will be enough food, right? Did you eat enough for lunch?”

“Oh, yeah. Luckily my mother was available so she stayed around throughout the afternoon. She made some congee for me as well, and also looked after Joy for a bit so I could take a nap,” she said. “She was going to cancel her dinner gathering so she could look after me, but I insisted that she go. I’ve already inconvenienced her too much.”

“Irene, I know you would rather be the one that people can rely on than to have to rely on people. But sometimes you do need it, and I really wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself,” he replied seriously. “Although I’m glad you got enough rest.”

“How was work today?” She asked.

“Went pretty smoothly, actually. Oh, during lunchtime, though, there was this guy that came into the store and he said he was looking for you,” he reported.

“Oh? Did he leave his contact?”

“No, but he mentioned he’s the father of the kid whose birthday party you and Joy went to yesterday,” he said, rummaging through his bag. When he finally fished out a handkerchief he handed it to Irene. “He told me you left this behind at his place.”

“Oh! No wonder I wasn’t able to find it anywhere! Thank goodness it’s not lost forever; Joy is for some reason particularly fond of this hanky,” said Irene.

Joy was, well, overjoyed to get her favorite hanky back. “Hanky!” She pointed at it and exclaimed. “Where did it go!”

“Darling, remember we went to Yeri’s place yesterday? We left the hanky there by mistake,” Irene explained. “Luckily, the bunny-ahjussi returned it today.”

“Bunny-ahjussi, thank you,” said Joy, who then reached for her cup of apple juice.

“Should we give bunny-ahjussi a call later and say ‘thank you’ to him?” Irene suggested, and Joy nodded in approval.

“You call him bunny-ahjussi? That’s interesting,” Kyungsoo commented and chuckled.

“Eomma’s eyes sparkle!” Joy suddenly said to Kyungsoo as if this matter was of utmost importance. “When she talks with bunny-ahjussi!”

Kyungsoo looked very surprised. He then turned to look at Irene who looked equally surprised. When the two adults said nothing, Joy insisted, “it’s true!”

Of course, Kyungsoo understood the implication. “Ooh, your eyes sparkle when you see him, huh?” He teased, nudging Irene gently.

“I was not aware of that,” she replied, gradually beginning to smile. “I mean, I do actually kind of enjoy his company. Like, genuinely.”

“Mm-hmm,” said Kyungsoo, who was totally convinced that there had to be more going on than what Irene was telling him. “And when was the last time you met someone that you felt this way about?”

“Uh…” Irene hesitated, thinking hard. “Um...I...I don’t know.”

“Bunny-ahjussi is special!” Joy added, liking where this conversation was going.

Irene could not believe it was her own daughter who would expose her. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, giggled.

“You don’t see it yourself, but your daughter has witnessed everything,” he remarked. “Tell me, do you like him?”

“Well, I…it’s too soon to tell and I don’t exactly know him that well. But I guess I am a little bit fond of him, as a person, on the whole?” She admitted. “I’m not sure. Don’t overthink this, Kyungsoo.”

“Right…” There was something mischievous about the grin on Kyungsoo’s face. “It’s already very good that your response wasn’t a straightforward ‘no’.”

“Kyungsoo, come on.” She chuckled too, rolling her eyes.

“Well, you can let me know if you feel more than ‘a little bit fond of’ this guy,” replied Kyungsoo. “So I can tease you about it.”

* * *

As promised, Irene made a call to Junmyeon after tidying up the dinner table. She got Joy on the phone as well but shortly after saying a few words to the bunny-ahjussi, the little girl already wanted to go play with her stickers and sketchbook, so Irene let her.

“Sorry for troubling you and making you come all the way to my store,” said Irene to Junmyeon.

“It wasn’t a problem. I’d have passed it to you personally since we usually see each other in the evening at the daycare. But my daughter wasn’t there today so neither was I. I dropped her off at her grandparents’ place today — ahem, her mother’s side of the family,” he explained. “Anyway, I just wanted to return it to you as soon as possible in case you really needed it or something.”

“Oh, then this definitely worked in our favor, because I didn’t send Joy to the daycare today either,” she replied.

“Ah? Is everything alright?” He asked, sounding quite a bit more concerned than either of them would have expected.

“I must’ve caught a cold,” she revealed as she sniffled and reached for the tissue box on the other side of the table. “But it’s OK. I’ll be fine.”

“Oh, no! It’s because of the pouring rain yesterday, isn’t it? I’m so sorry, this is my bad. I really should’ve just thought of it sooner and offered to give you two a lift.”

“No, please don’t say that. It’s too much to ask if you had to make all the preparations for the party _and_ drive all the way to my place,” she said. “I’ll recover quickly, so it’s no big deal.”

“I really hope you get well soon! Take your meds on time and drink lots of warm water, yeah?”

Irene smiled warmly. “Yeah, I will. You and Yeri take care too.”

“I’ll definitely hope to see you tomorrow,” Junmyeon added, but then feared it might come off the wrong way. “And Joy as well, of course! I'm sure she and Yeri miss each other a lot.”

“Sure, see you tomorrow then!”

* * *

The two parents did manage to see each other at the daycare the next day, as usual, to pick up their kids. Together the four of them left the daycare center, and Junmyeon held the door open for the ladies. The children spared no thoughts for these courteous gestures, just rushing outside and racing to the lift lobby. Their parents caught up soon but trailed behind them slowly. But suddenly Junmyeon stopped in his tracks.

“Oops. Looks like Yeri left her water bottle in there,” he concluded after a thorough search of her bag. “I’ll go get it. Do you mind to attend her just for a moment, please?”

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead,” said Irene. “We’ll wait here.”

As soon as Junmyeon was out of sight, the lift stopped at the floor they were on. Naturally the lift doors opened and a tall man walked out.

Again the kids thought nothing of it, but Irene gasped and stood there frozen. That man...was Joy’s father, Park Jinsong.

“Irene?” Jinsong was surprised as well, but he was definitely much calmer than his ex was. “Fancy seeing you here!”

“Eomma! Hurry up!” Joy hollered impatiently, still giggling with Yeri as they waited inside the lift.

Jinsong glanced over his shoulder to take a quick look at the little girl who referred to Irene as her mother.

“You have a kid now?” He asked, frowning a little. “How old is she?”

Irene still looked pale and she was spluttering as she told him Joy’s age honestly. She was not even sure why she bothered to respond and interact with him. She spent the past 4 years ignoring him but now, here she was and she could not even help herself.

“Huh,” said Jinsong, nodding as he did the math. “Is that my kid?”

“No,” Irene lied right away, shaking her head in vehement denial, but there were tears brimming in her eyes.

“Is that _our_ kid?” He pressed on relentlessly. “It all adds up, you know?”

“No,” she repeated herself, more loudly this time. But he was a step ahead of her and his line of vision landed on one of the bags that she was carrying. That bag belonged to Joy, obviously, because it had her name embroidered on it, in rainbow colors. Jinsong saw it and noticed that the child’s surname was the same as his surname. Sure, it was a popular surname, but it only made him more confident that this was _his_ daughter.

Irene panicked and tried to hide the bag behind her back. She only found a way to rescue herself when Junmyeon had returned.

“Hey, honey. You’re back,” she said to Junmyeon, forcing a smile upon her face as she boldly reached out to take his hand. Her voice was quivering and her hand was also trembling, which could not have escaped Junmyeon’s notice. He looked perplexed for a moment and could not understand what had gotten into Irene to compel her to behave this way. Sure, he also liked her and enjoyed having her around, but to go as far as having to address each other so affectionately and even holding hands seemed a bit too rushed at this stage of their acquaintance.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Junmyeon asked hesitantly. He felt uneasy too since Irene looked as if she was about to burst into tears when she was completely fine just a moment ago when he left her with the kids.

Junmyeon then looked at the man that seemed to have been in the middle of an interaction with Irene just now.  
  
“Jinsong-hyung?” Junmyeon frowned. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I’m just here to visit my dentist friend,” Jinsong explained calmly, gesturing at the dental clinic that was next to the daycare center.

“Let’s talk later,” Junmyeon suggested as Irene was gripping his hand so tightly that he felt like the blood flow was getting cut off.

Quickly Irene practically threw herself into the lift and Junmyeon _had_ to follow suit as she had not let go yet. Jinsong continued to stare at the two of them until the lift doors had closed completely.


	6. Two And A Half Friends

Irene finally let herself breathe, and released Junmyeon’s hand from her grasp. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, forcing the tears back albeit without much success. The two girls continued to play and lightly poke each other, completely oblivious to the drama and tension going on between the adults.

Once they reached the ground floor, Irene sat down on a bench in the lobby to regain her composure. Junmyeon led the kids over there and sat down with her but had not demanded an explanation just yet.

“I’m so sorry.” Irene spoke when she had finally dried her tears.

“It’s alright,” Junmyeon replied softly.

“I feel like all I do is just embarrass and inconvenience you.”

“That’s not true at all,” said Junmyeon in reassurance. “I certainly don’t think of you that way.”

“No?” She sniffled. “I don't think I would even blame you even if you wanted to run as far away from me as possible.”

“I'm not that easily startled and you didn't scare me off,” he explained. “I’m just a bit puzzled; that’s all.”

“Yeah, um, listen, I can explain myself. I’m really sorry about having to act like we were a couple just now. I really didn’t mean to make things awkward and it was rude of me to just do that out of the blue. I just…” she sighed. “The tall guy just now, he…” she quickly glanced at Joy and made sure her daughter was sufficiently distracted by some game with Yeri before she could continue explaining. “He’s Joy’s biological father.”

Junmyeon really took a moment to process that. “Oh.”

Irene then proceeded to explain what the relationship between her and Jinsong was like and thus why she behaved like that just now. Normally she might not have been willing to disclose so much but these were _not_ normal circumstances at all.

“I see…” Junmyeon said slowly. “I can’t believe you had to go through all that. Although, I can’t say I’m surprised that this kind of behavior would come from Park Jinsong.”

“You’re acquainted with him, aren’t you? How?” Irene asked sorrowfully. “If you don’t mind telling me, that is…”

Junmyeon cleared his throat. “He’s my ex-wife’s elder brother.”

Irene nearly choked. “He’s Yeri’s uncle?!”

Junmyeon nodded. “I suppose that means Yeri and Joy are cousins, just that they don’t know it themselves.”

“How come Yeri wasn’t able to recognize Jinsong just now?”

“Because...Jinsong and Chorong did not exactly get along. In fact, they’re kinda...estranged. Like, she cut ties with him many years ago because she disapproved of his morals and the way he treated the people around him. The whole fiasco about him cheating on his fiancée — which you already know about — is just one incident out of many. The only person in their family who still perhaps keeps in touch with him would probably be Chanyeol. Just because, you know, Chanyeol is such a softie. And because Chanyeol and Jinsong are closer in age so the two of them were pretty close growing up as cousins, whereas Jinsong and Chorong were 6 years apart so they were never _that_ close as siblings,” he explained. “And so, Yeri has only met Jinsong maybe one or two times. Not enough for her to remember his face. And I’m not very eager to interact with him either, so what I said to him just now is just...whatever, just ignore it.”

Irene nodded in understanding. “At least you won’t have to explain to Yeri that her uncle is a piece of shit.”

“I take it you haven’t told Joy about her father?”

She shook her head. “She’s asked me that question before, but...I never know how to handle it. I just kind of keep avoiding it but...that’s not a ‘sustainable’ solution, so to speak.”

“I can definitely understand that that’s a tricky situation. Perhaps when she’s a bit older, she’ll understand,” Junmyeon replied. “Are you feeling any better now?”

“I guess I don’t feel like I’m about to pass out anymore,” Irene uttered. “I’m sorry to have occupied so much of your time,” she added as she checked her watch. “Could I make it up to you by treating you to dinner?”

* * *

Irene’s daily routine continued and she met up with Kyungsoo at the store for work as usual. She thought she would not be updating Kyungsoo on how things were going between herself and Junmyeon, simply because she used to think there would be nothing special. But she found herself confiding in Kyungsoo about what happened yesterday, when she ran into Jinsong and how she acted with Junmyeon.

“That must’ve been a lot to take in,” said Kyungsoo afterward. “How are you feeling now?”

“I think I’m alright, for now,” Irene replied. “I just realized that, without knowing it, I’ve actually placed more trust in Junmyeon than I had anticipated that I would.”

“That’s not a bad thing, though, is it?” Kyungsoo asked.

“No, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing.”

“Perhaps it’s because you’ve found a kindred spirit in him?”

“That’s possible. We’re both single parents and we definitely share some common interests, which I’m happy about,” said Irene. “Oh, and you know how, recently, Joy has been asking me if she can dress up in boys’ clothes for fun as well?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Of course, I told her she can do it if that’s what she wants. I think she must’ve told Yeri about it because previously I overheard Yeri talking to Junmyeon about this. Then he explained to Yeri that Joy can wear whatever she wants and it doesn’t matter if it’s girls’ clothes or boys’ clothes or otherwise,” she explained proudly. “And that made me develop even more respect for him. His open-mindedness and acceptant attitude about cross-dressing and breaking gender boundaries, defying them to allow self-expression...that’s what I really believe in and advocate, you know? And to meet someone who thinks that way as well, that actually makes me so happy.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Hey, that’s great to hear! So, you’re more than just ‘a little bit’ fond of him now?”

“Well…” Irene grinned and blushed slightly. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about just how much I like him these days because...I just didn’t expect this to happen. Or that I’d like him _that_ much.”

“You certainly are impressed, and that doesn’t happen often.”

“Yes, I suppose I am. But...I also suspect — ah, I mean, I can’t tell if it’s simply because my expectations are just so low that he can already impress me just by being a decent person, or if I am actually developing feelings for him. I’m really not sure.”

“I understand that you’re still kind of scarred from all the shit that Mijoo and Jinsong put you through. But...perhaps you could spend some more time with him?” He suggested. “So you can find out how you feel about him, and vice versa. Like how you had dinner with him last night. I think that was a great decision. It wasn’t a date, I know, but it was a brilliant chance for you two to get to know each other. Romance might not be a priority for you, but it would still be nice to have a friend, right?”

“Hmm...I suppose that _could_ help me figure out my feelings. But...how in the world would I find time for that, outside of our daily encounters at the daycare center every evening?” She asked.

“Well, it might not be as difficult as you think. He’s a single parent too, as you said, so his priorities would likely be similar to yours. And your pickup times at the daycare have already been synced together,” he pointed out. “So, perhaps it wouldn’t be too hard for your schedule and his to match.”

“You have a point.”

“Yes,” he replied. “And now it’s just a matter of commitment.”

“Let me think about it,” she said.

“Please do. I know better than to urge you to consider dating, so I’m just gonna say that it’s not healthy for you to only have three friends left.”

She paused. “Surely, I have more than that?”

“Do you, though? Looks like there’s just me, Wendy when she’s not overseas, and perhaps Baekhyun,” he listed. “Dude, that’s just two and a half friends.”

She giggled. “There’s also Chanyeol even though I’ll admit we aren’t that close.”

“See, even then that just makes three. My point still stands.”

“Alright, alright. I get that you’re doing this for my sake,” she replied. “I will really give it some thought and let you know the results.”

“Perfect!”

* * *

As soon as Irene had fully recovered from the cold, it was a rainy day _again_. How delightful.

Not wanting Irene to get sick once again, Junmyeon offered to give her a lift to the daycare center as they were going to go pick their daughters up at pretty much the same time anyway. Junmyeon normally did not pass by Irene’s store when he was on his way to the daycare, but there was still an alternative route that enabled him to do so without too much hassle, so they had come to an agreement.

During the ride, the radio was on. Junmyeon thought about switching it off so he and Irene could chat, but then Irene started to listen intently.

“Thanks for joining us today, Seulgi-ssi,” said the radio host, and that caught Irene’s attention. “Congratulations, by the way! Your new comeback is so successful! You must’ve worked really hard on this.”

“Thank you, thank you. Yes, I poured a lot of thought and effort into this new album. It has a lot of personal significance to me,” Seulgi revealed. “It’s a part of me that I haven’t shown to my fans before.”

“That’s interesting! Could you share more with us? About the title track, especially. I’m sure a lot of us are very curious about that,” the host replied. “It seems to be about friendship, am I right? I'm sensing some nostalgia about the good old days.”

“Yes, that’s right. I chose this one as the title track because it has so much meaning to me and I got a bit emotional when I wrote the lyrics to it. This song is actually for someone who used to be my best friend. But we had a fallout and we hadn’t seen each other in...probably 6 years now.”

At this point, Irene shifted in her seat but was hardly aware of it. She was hardly even aware that she was in Junmyeon’s car right now and it would probably be more polite to make conversation with him than to let this radio interview grab all of her attention. But she just _had_ to listen to this. She had to know.

“Ah, 6 years. That’s a long time, then. Any chance you two could reconcile?” Asked the host.

“Well, I would love that,” Seulgi replied. “I really wish I could reconnect with her…”

At that, Irene reached out to dab at her eyes. Her tears were fogging her vision and she really did not want to tear up in front of Junmyeon again. He turned the radio down and asked softly, “are you alright?”

She sighed. “I’m fine.”

“The song must mean a lot to you, I’m guessing?”

“Actually, the artist means even more to me,” she answered, a bittersweet smile on her face as she shook her tears away. “But you’re never gonna believe me even if I tell you the truth about my friendship with Seulgi.”

“Try me,” said Junmyeon.

And so, Irene did. And after that, she also rummaged through the camera roll on her phone and showed him some old pictures of her and Seulgi together. She reckoned it might make him believe that she really used to be friends with someone who was now a celebrity.

One of the photos she showed him also included the producer trio that she and Seulgi were close with, back when they were in university. Junmyeon recognized Chanyeol right away, standing in between Irene and Seulgi while Baekhyun and Yifan were on either side.

“You know what, I’m actually going to meet up with Chanyeol for dinner on Saturday. You wanna come with?” Junmyeon asked. “Don’t worry, you’re not going to be third-wheeling me and him.”

Irene chuckled. “I’d love to join, if he’s cool with that too.”

“Cool! Then I’ll text him,” Junmyeon offered.

Irene smiled heartily at him as she thought about her conversation with Kyungsoo earlier. Ever since she had Joy, she had pretty much neglected her own social life. Also, she had just been _thinking_ about trying to reach through to Seulgi through those producer friends, but had not actually put that into action. Perhaps this weekend would be the perfect occasion.


	7. Grandma

Irene did end up happily joining Junmyeon and Chanyeol for dinner that Saturday. Her mother was happy to babysit Joy, whereas the little girl was delighted to get to spend time with her grandmother. Yeri was also with Junmyeon’s parents, so the adults could meet up and chat freely without having to worry about their children’s whereabouts or having to supervise the little ones.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” said Chanyeol, especially since it was Irene’s first time to visit his new apartment. “The food is almost ready. I’ll just go grab some drinks for you guys.”

“Oh, we’ll just help ourselves,” Junmyeon replied casually, already making his way to the kitchen and pulling the fridge door open whereas Irene just politely took a seat.

As soon as the food was served, the three of them ate and chatted.

“By the way, Junmyeon,” said Chanyeol as he refilled his wine glass. “I didn’t know you’re seeing someone these days.”

Junmyeon’s jaw dropped while Irene just stared at him in surprise.

“I didn’t know that either,” Junmyeon replied. “Where did you hear that from?”

“Jinsong-hyung told me,” Chanyeol explained. “Said he ran into you the other day and that you were dating his ex?”

This time Junmyeon and Irene exchanged glances. Irene was the more worried one, frowning in slight discomfort. Chanyeol meant no harm, just that from what he was told, it was probably not specified that _Irene_ right here was the ex in question.

“That’s...not true,” Junmyeon cleared his throat and clarified. Irene just looked away and kept eating. “I mean, yes, we ran into each other but I’m not dating his ex.”

“Ah…” Chanyeol nodded. He then leaned forward to stare dramatically at both Junmyeon and Irene as if he was about to interrogate two criminals. “Then, are you two dating?”

Both of them paused, looking at each other awkwardly. They had not _really_ taken the time to _seriously_ ponder upon how they felt about each other. There was chemistry, of course, and it could be said that they were friends, but that was not all that there was, either. So exactly what terms were they on?

This moment of awkwardness and hesitation was enough of a response for Chanyeol, to confirm the answer that he already had in mind.

“I knew it!” He stated. “I saw you two interacting all through Yeri’s birthday party while _I_ was the one who entertained most of the other guests. Ah, all of us at the party, even the children, we were just third-wheeling you two, huh?”

“No!” Both of them replied at the same time.

“It’s really not like that,” said Irene quickly. “We’re just friends.”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon agreed. “What she said.”

“Uh-huh…” Chanyeol drawled, not at all convinced from the look on his face. “Then, why do you two look at each other as if, I don’t know, y’all only have eyes for each other?”

“I don’t think we do that,” Irene replied with a gulp. “Do you think we do that?” She turned to Junmyeon and asked. She tried to sound confident but then the more she did that, the less confident she _actually_ felt. She was reminded of the time Joy said that her eyes sparkled when she was with Junmyeon...she felt that in her chest but somehow she did not really want to admit it.

“No, not really,” Junmyeon answered, but without certainty. “We don’t really do that, do we?”

After observing the way they kept throwing the question back at each other, Chanyeol giggled and took a sip from his wine glass. They clearly liked each other but barely knew it themselves. This was sort of entertaining, so he just sat back and watched as they tried to convince themselves that they were nothing more than friends. They looked at each other the same way the couples around him did with each other _right_ before they officially got into a relationship. Couples like Baekhyun and Solbin, like Yifan and Yixing. Happy couples in wholesome and stable relationships. Like they were enchanted with each other, and it was beautiful.

 _Perhaps_ , Chanyeol thought to himself, _one day Junmyeon and Irene will realize it._

* * *

After dinner, Irene went to her mother’s place and was welcomed by the sight of grandmother and granddaughter reading a storybook together.

“Eomma!” Joy called out cheerily and sped to the door so she could get a hug from her mother. Irene obliged and picked her daughter up. She gave Joy a kiss on the top of her head and then together they sat down next to Grandma.

“How was dinner?” Grandma asked. “Did you have fun with your friends?”

“It was nice!” Irene answered breezily. “I had a great time with them.”

“I’m happy to hear that. Joy has been perfectly well-behaved just now,” Grandma reported.

“She has? Good girl,” said Irene sweetly as she gave Joy a thumbs-up. Joy giggled and also did the thumbs-up sign. “Darling, what are you reading?”

“Story!” Joy answered and pointed at the illustrations on the page. “Eomma, see. Bunnies!”

“Ooh, look at all these bunnies wearing clothes of different colors,” said Irene. “It’s pretty, right?” 

Joy nodded. “ _I_ like bunnies,” she said, pointing at herself, and then pointed at her mother. “ _Eomma_ likes bunny-ahjussi.”

Irene felt so betrayed, but also chortled at that. She booped Joy’s nose and replied, “darling, it’s time for bed. Grandma is tired.”

“Grandma is not tired,” said Grandma herself, shaking her head. She also wore a smirk that indicated that there were many things she wanted to talk to Irene about. Specifically about the bunny-ahjussi that Joy had so naturally pointed out that Irene had taken a liking to, although of course the two adults could wait till Joy was asleep.

“But _eomma_ is tired,” Irene insisted and smiled at her daughter. “Come on. Time to go brush your teeth. Let's go, let's go, let's go!”

After ushering Princess Joy into the bathroom and doing what needed to be done, Irene proceeded to tuck the Princess into bed. Of course, Joy would not be able to sleep without Penny the Penguin, so Irene made sure to bring Penny with her when she and Joy went to Grandma’s place. Joy fell asleep pretty quickly, and Irene was eternally thankful that Kyungsoo got the penguin toy for her.

Closing the door as quietly as possible, Irene went back to the living room where her mother remained seated. Irene sat down too, knowing that this conversation was unavoidable.

“So,” Grandma began. “Would you like to tell me about this bunny-ahjussi that Joy has been talking about?”

“He’s the father of Joy’s best friend at the daycare,” Irene answered. “He’s also a single parent.”

“Interesting. And you like him?” Grandma asked.

Irene nodded. “I like him and respect him a lot.”

“But do you like him _in the way that I think_?” Grandma pressed on.

Irene guffawed. “Don’t let Joy give you the wrong idea,” she replied. But a voice at the back of her mind also reminded her that both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had already pointed out that, firstly, perhaps she _did_ like Junmyeon in a way that was more than platonic and, secondly, perhaps he liked her back too. At least, he was not grossed out when she very awkwardly and abruptly held his hand.

“Alright, alright. Although, you know where I’m coming from. I’m just kind of sad to see that you have no love life, no sex life, and barely a social life apart from the people you see daily anyways, which pretty much just includes Kyungsoo and that bunny-ahjussi of yours.”

“Eomma…” Irene whined.

“And you know it’s true,” Grandma stated. “Don’t blame eomma for just wanting the best for you. I don’t _require_ you to have a serious relationship. But when’s the last time you so much as went out on a date?”

Irene shrugged. There was no way she would be able to recall the last time that happened. “I’ve tried Tinder before but I didn’t like it much.”

“See, it’s not good for you to not have a social life.”

“Yeah, but you also see how busy I am with being a full-time mother and also working full-time at my own furniture store,” Irene replied. “It ain’t easy.”

“Work keeps you busy, yes, and I also understand you’re willing to sacrifice anything to ensure that you can be the best parent to Joy. But shouldn’t that also include setting a good example for her, by striking a balance between social life and parenting and work?” Grandma pointed out. “You read feminist novels too. _Kim Ji Young, Born 1982_. Remember that one? It’s like a mother, especially a single mother like you, should be devoting every second of her life to taking care of her kids. As if her body only exists to fulfill the needs of her little ones, not her own. But is that really what you believe in?”

Irene sighed, knowing that her mother was making very strong points here. “I just kind of worry, like, I would feel like I’m being a bad mother to Joy or that I’m being selfish.”

“My dear…” Grandma took a deep breath and went on. “When your little girl grows up, she’s going to have questions about relationships and sex that you might not know how to answer, just like when she asks you about her biological father. And one day, she’s gonna wanna date, and she’s gonna have physical desires as well, but you wouldn’t invalidate her needs, right?”

“Of course I wouldn’t.”

“Exactly. So, why would you do it to yourself, or assume that she’s gonna think of you as a bad mother _if_ you do date or make time for your own life outside of being a mother and a businesswoman? Do you want to teach her to lead an unsavory lifestyle? Your needs are just as legitimate,” Grandma explained. “You've just been brainwashing yourself into believing that you don't need these relationships _at all_ , but that's not healthy.”

“I see what you mean, but I’m just so, so bad at relationships,” said Irene, shuddering. “I’m not sure I want to spend time on dating if it’s not going to amount to anything.”

“I know you’re very pessimistic when it comes to relationships, and I can understand why. Maybe you’re ready for relationships and maybe you aren’t. But you don’t have to be looking for a very long-term relationship or even a substitute father for Joy. I would just like it if you could also be fair to yourself and make some time to be someone other than ‘Joy’s mother’ or ‘owner of Red Velvet’. It’s also time to be ‘Irene Bae’, don’t you think?”

After some thought, Irene nodded. “I understand where you’re coming from.”

“Good, I’m glad you do. And even if Joy is exaggerating about your relationship with the bunny-ahjussi, I’ve observed that she doesn’t talk that way about anyone else. She may be very young, but she clearly sees the difference between what you have with him and the entirely platonic friendship between you and Kyungsoo,” said Grandma.

“You know what, I’m still trying to figure out what’s really going on between me and him. It seems nobody is convinced that we’re just friends,” replied Irene. “Not even me myself, to be honest.”

“So, _if_ you do have romantic feelings for him, I really think it would be best for you to _not_ push those feelings away or invalidate them,” Grandma pleaded. “I’m sure if you want to give yourself excuses, it’s easy, and you can give yourself as many excuses as you want. But I would like you to be honest with yourself. If your feelings are real and so are his, then please. Consider it, at least.”

“You think there’s any chance it’ll work out this time?” Irene asked, still a bit apprehensive about the idea of dating.

“Well, I know for sure that it’s been 4 years since you _actually_ dated anyone — as in more than just having coffee with someone and then deciding you’re not going to bother to see them or talk to them again — and over the past 4 years you have certainly matured and learned a lot. Perhaps you have a clearer idea of what you want, what you don’t want, what to avoid, and all that. Who’s to say it’s not going to work?”

“Err, how about my past experience?”

“That’s undoubtedly a big concern you have, but you aren’t the same person you were when you had those failed relationships back then,” Grandma replied. “Be _present_ , daughter. I don’t try to live in the past nor do I try to live in the future — I can’t predict the future after all, so I can’t tell you if it’s going to work out or not. There’s only one way to find out, and if you don’t try then you will never know if happiness is already within your grasp. So don’t let it slip out of your fingertips.”

For emphasis, she held her daughter’s hands and then gave them a squeeze, grinning at her in encouragement. Irene smiled too, and said, “I’m glad you shared your wisdom with me.”

“Ha, I’m more relieved that you don’t find me to be a long-winded old lady,” Grandma joked.

“Even if you are, you’d still be my mother, and I’d still listen to you,” Irene replied sweetly. “Goodnight, eomma.”

“Goodnight, my daughter.”


	8. After Party

“Hey,” said Junmyeon to Irene the next time they saw each other. Unsurprisingly it was at the daycare center whilst their daughters still wanted to play in the tent a little longer. “What are you doing _next_ weekend?” He asked, his eagerness splayed across the boyish grin on his face. “Not the coming one. I mean the one after that.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet. Nothing special,” Irene answered, as _both_ her mother’s and Kyungsoo’s voices rang in her head. _A social life, Irene_ , she thought to herself. _It’s time to get one_. “What are _you_ doing then?”

“Oh, I’m going to this...after party,” Junmyeon revealed. “It’s sort of a work thing.”

“That sounds exciting,” Irene commented. “What’s the occasion?”

“Did you hear about the new shopping mall just a few blocks away?”

“Oh yeah. Is it open already?” She asked.

“It will be, very soon. The opening ceremony will be held _next_ weekend, and then in the evening there’s gonna be an after party at a club that’s not inside the mall but still part of the mall complex. That’s the one I’m invited to,” Junmyeon explained. “Since I designed the interior of the club.”

“Sounds cool. I hope you have fun, then!”

“I will, definitely. Although I was thinking about asking you...if you’d like to go with me as my plus-one?” He smiled, a bit shy like a teenage boy asking out his high school crush, but considering the occasion, it was definitely a testimony to his success and maturity.

“Ah, I…” Irene began slowly. “I’m very flattered that you want me to join. It’s just that...are you sure I’d be the best choice though? I don’t really know anybody there…”

“Oh, now that’s where you’re wrong. At a party, there’s got to be entertainment, and I just received news today about which performer they’ve invited,” Junmyeon announced mysteriously. “Even if you don’t know anybody else at the party, surely you’d know _her_.”

Irene’s eyes widened and she held her breath. “Seulgi?!”

Junmyeon nodded. “The one and only.”

After a moment of shock, Irene finally said, “I’ll definitely be able to make it. Just send the details to me. I will be there.”

* * *

Irene kept her word. When her mother heard that she had made up her mind to go to attend a social function, the older lady was even more excited than the attendee herself. She offered to babysit Joy for the whole day so that it would leave Irene with ample time to do her makeup, her hair, her nails, and all that. And so she spent most of the day dolling herself up, and it had been _years_ since the last time she was able to devote so much time to looking pretty.

She was already exhausted by the time she was done, but there was still a whole evening to go.

 _It’s alright_ , she reassured herself. _My social skills may be rusty, but they’re still intact. I don’t have to be a complete social butterfly like I tried to be, back in uni and while working as a party planner. I can still go and have a nice time. And most importantly, try to strike up a conversation with Seulgi._

On the matter of Seulgi, Irene could not help but sigh as she thought about it. Of course she had been longing for an opportunity to interact with Seulgi, not because she was a celebrity now but because they used to be best friends. Irene was not even sure exactly what she was going to say or do. She did not want to set a script for herself and just recite it. She felt like she was going to be so nervous that she would just forget all that she might have planned to say. So she would rather just do what felt right in the moment.

It would be unrealistic to expect that she and Seulgi could go right back to being best friends. But it would be nice even if they could just have a brief conversation. At least just so she could have the chance to apologize. She had lost her best friend and that was the price she had to pay for a decision that _she_ made despite Seulgi’s opposition. But it also meant that Seulgi had lost her best friend too because of a decision that she could not be held accountable for. No matter what, it was unfair to her and Irene felt guilty about that.

She looked herself in the mirror, over and over again. Her hair and makeup seemed fine, and her heels were not yet killing her at this stage. She really quite liked her outfit — hopefully no one would think that she was overdressed or underdressed. This should be fine, right? It was elegant, not _too_ fancy, and quite comfortable. The side pockets were convenient and deep enough for her to stash some cash, her keys, and her phone. On the outside it did not even look like the pockets were there. Perfect.

When she received the text from Junmyeon saying he was already downstairs, it was time for her to go. He readily got out of the car and originally wanted to open the car door for her. But once he saw her, he just could not stop smiling and lost all sense of what he was supposed to do.

She showed up dressed in purple, her favorite color. It was _his_ favorite color too, but she did not know it yet. Just another thing they had in common.

The thing was, she looked _gorgeous_ and he just could not take his eyes off of her. He had noticed it the first time they met, at her furniture store, that she was _very_ pretty. Hers was a kind of beauty that only goddesses’ could rival and still pale in comparison to her aura, the way she carried herself, and the way her smiles were reserved only for the very few people who truly made her happy. Not the standard, polite, somewhat fake or forced kind of smile that most people had to plaster on their faces when they were dealing with different people at work. She smiled at Junmyeon once she saw him standing next to his car, a genuine smile that did well to express her mirth.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” she said softly as she walked up to him. Her smile grew even wider when she looked at him more closely. It was as if his face was sculpted by the gods. Junmyeon was not just about looking ‘hot’; it was utter flawlessness from every angle possible. Perhaps she tended to appear as if she was completely unmoved by good looks, as if she was made of ice, but at the end of the day she was still human and she definitely agreed that his attractiveness was unmatched.

It took Junmyeon a moment. He cleared his throat and greeted her, finally remembering to pull the car door open for her. Irene was not tall, but Junmyeon had witnessed too many occasions where Chanyeol would accidentally bump his head when getting into the car, and of course Junmyeon could not let that happen to Irene, so he used his hand to carefully shield her till she had settled comfortably. Then he got back into his seat.

“I…” he began a little nervously, although he was still smiling because he was so pleased to see her and get to spend the evening in her presence. “I don’t really know how to compliment someone but I just wanted to say that you look very beautiful.”

Irene grinned. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

* * *

At the party, Irene ate, drank, chatted and socialized with various people that Junmyeon introduced her to. She knew that the _main_ reason why Junmyeon had been so kind as to extend the invitation to her was so that she could have the chance to interact with Seulgi. Therefore the least she could do to repay his kindness was to at least look interested in mingling with the other guests at the party. Luckily, her people skills were not completely lost — she did have to do a lot of mingling when she and Seulgi were still a duo and looking for a way to get discovered. Being a party planner also required no less. It was not that she was uncomfortable, being where she was now; just that she was really _itching_ to do what she came here to do.

Finally, _finally_ , it was time for Seulgi to go on stage and perform. Irene watched the performance attentively and appreciatively while many kinds of emotions stirred in her heart. The spotlight shone so brightly and so strongly on Seulgi, Irene was sure that there was no way Seulgi, from where she was standing on the stage, would be able to clearly see the face of any member of the audience. To Irene, that was fine. She knew that Seulgi probably would not be expecting her to be here, and for sure she would not want her presence to affect Seulgi’s performance.

 _After the performance_ , Irene kept telling herself. _Then nothing can get in the way anymore_.

Irene was not wrong to think that way, but she was so absorbed in _her_ chances at reuniting with Seulgi that she had most certainly underestimated just how many people in the room would be desperate to have some sort of interaction with someone as famous as Seulgi. So Irene waited, and yet every second of wait felt like a whole hour.

She kept waiting until, finally, Seulgi was just a few tables away. Surely, now would be a good time to approach her?

Oh, shit. Someone beat Irene to it already, and once she saw it she was about to sigh in disheartenment. But then she stifled that urge to sigh and instead gasped. The person that Seulgi was having a conversation with at the moment was not just any ordinary guest — it was Park Jinsong. The last person Irene ever wanted to see was chatting with the person that Irene was most desperate to see.

Irene felt as though she was about to lose her mind. Abandoning all inhibition, she marched toward Seulgi and Jinsong with determination. Just one look at Jinsong’s facial expressions was already enough for her to detect that he was up to no good. She knew him well enough to guess that he must be trying to hit on Seulgi, and when Irene saw that Seulgi did not look that comfortable either, it just gave Irene all the confirmation she needed that Jinsong was being a creep.

“Hey,” said Irene when she made her way to their table. She sounded more assertive than ever, but only needed to be loud enough to draw attention from the two of them, not from anyone else at the party.

Both Seulgi and Jinsong rose from their seats, Jinsong only looking mildly surprised but Seulgi was downright astounded to see Irene here.

“Oh, hey,” said Jinsong casually, quick to assume that Irene must be here to speak to _him_. “We meet again. You look amazing. Prettier than ever. Shall we go get some drinks and catch up?”

“Would you excuse us please,” Irene snapped at Jinsong. She had already used up all her patience when waiting for her turn to speak with Seulgi. The last thing she needed was for Jinsong to test her patience, and she reckoned she was already being _very_ polite when she chose not to just speak her mind and say something like ‘go away’ to him, or something even more straightforward like ‘fuck off’.

Jinsong might be taken aback, but he was not intimidated. Last time he and Irene ran into each other, she was only able to narrowly escape the awkward _and_ painful situation with Junmyeon’s help and cooperation. This time, who could Irene possibly rely on?

“Hey, Jinsong-hyung! You didn’t tell me you were gonna be here today!”

Irene whirled to see that it was Junmyeon to the rescue once again, this time by engaging Jinsong in conversation to buy enough time for her and Seulgi to go elsewhere to talk. As an independent woman, she did not really want to have to wait for a man to come to her rescue. But she was in no position to complain, and it seemed Seulgi was also just as eager to talk to her as the idol was the one who led the way and brought Irene all the way to her dressing room where they could have some privacy.


	9. Seulgi

Backstage, it was also much quieter. This meant that Irene was now even more conscious of just how fast her heart was beating. She had not seen Seulgi in so long — not in the flesh, at least. And now, here they were, about to have a long overdue conversation. Irene was so, so, so nervous, even more nervous than Seulgi’s biggest fans would be when they had the chance to meet her and talk with her.

“I can’t believe my eyes,” said the nation’s rising celebrity. She sounded breathless and astonishment was written all over her face. “Irene-eonni, is that really you?”

“S-Seul...Seulgi-ya,” Irene spluttered. Her voice was so shaky, the opposite of how stable Seulgi’s vocals were when she was on stage just now. “It’s me. I finally get to see you,” she went on, grasping and squeezing Seulgi’s wrist and forearm. It was as if Irene was scared that she would lose her only shot at rekindling their friendship if she did not hold on to Seulgi tightly enough. “Are you still angry with me? I’m so sorry...I must’ve really let you down that time.”

Seulgi patted Irene on the back of her hand tenderly, even though Irene still seemed unaware of how firm her grip was, let alone think about loosening it.

“It’s been 6 years. Of course I’m not mad anymore,” said Seulgi in reassurance. Instantly, Irene let out a _huge_ sigh in relief, as if there was an extremely tight corset around her waist that was restricting her ribcage’s movements. But now the ties had been loosened and her lungs finally knew oxygen again. She could finally breathe again, only to throw herself into Seulgi’s embrace, the two of them hugging each other so tightly until they were out of breath once more.

“Oh my goodness, Seulgi-ya, I can’t believe I finally have the chance to see you again, like this…” Irene began, tears rolling down her face. She did not care about looking pretty anymore. If her makeup was going to be ruined then so be it. What mattered right now was that she had an opportunity to reconcile with Seulgi and this was something that she had been waiting for 6 whole years. Fixing her makeup would be so much less difficult than fixing a friendship that was broken because of no one else’s fault but _hers_. “I’ve waited so long to be able to face you and apologize to you. Seulgi, I’m so sorry...”

“It’s alright. It doesn’t matter anymore,” Seulgi replied, softly rubbing Irene’s back to soothe her. “I might not have been able to accept or agree with your decision at that time because of my own morals. But now, looking back, I think I can understand your motives. Your intentions. Of course you wanted the best for us. For Red Velvet. You were willing to make any sacrifices just so we can take the highway as we continue to chase our dreams.”

“I see I was wrong to think it would be so simple.” Irene chuckled at herself sardonically as she thought about how farcical this whole thing was. “I should just never be allowed to make decisions again. Look at the way it tore us apart and ruined the future we could have had together. Although, I see you’re doing great as a soloist now and, truly, from the bottom of my heart, I’m proud of you and I couldn’t be happier for you, to see that you’ve made it this far. All by your own effort and talent. You’ve really proven to me that you don’t need to sell your body to anyone just to have the kind of career and success that you want.”

“But I also couldn’t have done it without you,” Seulgi pointed out. “When you think of our precious friendship, I don’t want you to only think about how it got severed or where we left off last time. What about all the good times we’ve had? In university, in the band, supporting each other through auditions, rehearsing together, performing together, writing music together...all of that means so much to me as well. Not a day goes by that I don't miss it.”

“It does to me too,” said Irene. “And I would give anything just for us to be able to go back to the way we were, when we were just two girls with one dream. But it all feels so distant now, like it can only ever be a fond fantasy or a bittersweet memory.”

“A lot has changed over the past 6 years,” Seulgi stated. “You and I, we’ve both grown a lot as a person. Perhaps we don’t share the same dream anymore, and we have different priorities in life now. But we can still be friends, can’t we?”

Irene had her mouth open in disbelief. She thought that _she_ would have to be the one begging for forgiveness and for them to get a second chance at being friends. But Seulgi was so much less reluctant — actually so much more willing — than Irene could have wished for!

“Can we?” Irene whispered breathlessly. “You would be willing to? Because I...there’s nothing I would want more than that.”

Seulgi nodded, also moved to tears. “I’ve been wanting to do that. For a long time. Probably as soon as my agency loosened restrictions on my life outside of work. I just wasn’t sure if _you_ wanted the same, because I still work with Baekhyun maybe once a year — or twice, tops — and a few years ago I heard from him that you had a kid?”

“Yes…” Irene admitted. “It’s complicated, but it’s true. But looking on the bright side, my daughter _adores_ you. You’re her favorite artist!”

“I see — your daughter has exquisite tastes, and I’m honored to have young fans as well.” Seulgi smiled. “But you know, at the same time as I heard about you from Baekhyun, I was also about to go on a world tour. So that made me even _less_ available even if there was any chance that you wanted me back in your life.”

“Ah, I understand. How did your world tour go?” Irene asked. “It must’ve been a huge success.”

“It was _very_ hectic and schedules were _so_ tight. I got maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep each night so I don’t know how I actually survived but I did. I guess it’s because singing, dancing, performing...that’s what I love to do. I’m sure you’d understand that feeling. So, with this passion, I can endure anything,” Seulgi explained.

“I’m really glad to hear that.”

“But I just wanted to say...the world tour. That was something that we promised each other we would do together, remember?” Seulgi asked.

Irene gulped. “Yes, I remember. I’m sorry I was the reason why we weren’t able to fulfill that promise.”

“I don’t blame you. Although it just sort of made me feel that...there’s so much distance between me and you, and it kind of made me think that we wouldn’t ever get to even cross paths again, let alone see if we can salvage our friendship,” Seulgi explained. “I just thought maybe you’ve settled into a new life now, started your own family, and I’d just be a part of your past.”

“A part of my past...if I could not mend our friendship, it would definitely become a regret that I would carry with me for the rest of my life. And I don’t want it to be this way,” Irene replied earnestly. “Do you think we can still...be friends?”

“Well, I, for one, am going to do everything I can to make it happen,” replied Seulgi, grabbing her phone off the counter. “Give me your number. I’ll give you mine too.”

Irene obliged, and also fished out a business card from her purse. She handed it to Seulgi and added confidently, “here. Have this. Just in case you happen to need, you know, armchairs and curtains or whatever.”

“Whoa!” Seulgi’s eyes shone. “You have your own furniture store now? That’s amazing! And hold on — your store…” she stared at the business card in her hand. “It’s...it’s called...Red Velvet?” She asked as she felt chills down her spine as tears rushed to her eyes again. “You named your store after our band?”

Irene nodded. “I never forgot about you. Never forgot about the dreams we used to share.”

Seulgi engulfed Irene in another hug. “My goodness. I have missed you _so_ much. Heck, I don’t even have words for it.”

“I guess it’s a feeling that only the two of us can understand,” Irene remarked. “Hey, I’m not taking up too much of your time, right?”

“Too much of my time?” Seulgi snorted. “Girl, you owe me 6 years. I’ll give you a whole lifetime to make it up to me, though.”

“Fair enough.” Irene chuckled, taking a look around the dressing room that she was in. “I just don’t want to get in the way if you have a schedule early in the morning tomorrow or something.”

“Nope, don’t have to worry about that. Although, how did you get on the guest list for this party? I’m obviously the entertainment; what’s your excuse?”

“Oh, I...uh…my...um, friend?” Irene stammered. “Yeah, my friend, he...he’s the one who designed this club and I’m here as his plus-one!”

“Why not just say ‘boyfriend’?”

“Seulgi-ya!” Irene protested.

“Fine, fine. But, uh...what about that guy who was...um, with us just now before we came here to talk?” Seulgi asked. “It sounded as if he was acquainted with you.”

Irene sighed. Seulgi was her best friend after all and she was going to share the truth with Seulgi no matter how ugly it was.

“Look, I’m going to explain this to you in full once we get a chance to have a _really_ long conversation, but for now, the short answer is: that guy’s my baby father.”

“Ah…” Seulgi nodded slowly. “Well, that’s _still_ pretty damn awkward, not just because he was most certainly trying to flirt with me just now, but more because he’s here with his _fiancée_ , and she’s a business tycoon. Her family owns and runs a real estate company that developed this new mall.”

Irene huffed. “You’re right; it’s awkward on so many levels. But whatever. I just came here to reconnect with you anyway and I’ve most certainly done that with unexpected success.” She shrugged and then checked the time. “Although I should probably get back to Junmyeon and then we need to get back to our kids or something…perhaps he and I will just quietly take our leave.”

“Yeah. But don’t worry. We’ll definitely call and text each other. I just can’t wait to get to hang out with you so we can catch up!” Seulgi gushed as the two of them rejoined the party.

“For sure!” Irene grinned and waved goodbye at her best friend. Having renewed their friendship, she felt as if she was born again. The heaviest burden in her heart had been lifted and she felt so relieved.

Once Irene located Junmyeon in the crowds and made sure that he was not anywhere near Jinsong, quickly she returned to Junmyeon’s side.

“So, how did it go?” Junmyeon asked eagerly.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Irene answered heartily. “I’m so glad you decided to invite me to this party. Really.”

“I’m glad it all worked out for you. Also super happy you agreed to be my plus-one,” Junmyeon replied. “Although I’m sorry I didn’t know that Jinsong was going to be here tonight.”

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault. Seulgi told me just now — about his fiancée,” Irene reported. “I sort of pity his fiancée. Imagine attending a party with your fiancé but his ex — who is also his baby mama — is here as well. At the same time, he’s also flirting with, or at least _trying_ to flirt with, the performer.” She rolled her eyes. “Then again, it’s Park Jinsong. Not sure what else I can expect.”

Junmyeon shook his head in disapproval of Jinsong’s promiscuity, but also knowing that there was nothing he could do about that. “That’s a tragedy, but what I care about is whether or not _you_ are comfortable. Pretty sure you wouldn’t want to be in the same room with him for longer than necessary. If you would rather get out of here, we can go, actually.”

Irene nodded. “We should go anyway. It’s late and we do have our daughters to attend to.”


	10. I Like You

By the end of the night, Irene had so many thoughts that it felt like she was busy having multiple conversations with different parts of herself. It was so overwhelming that even during the ride from the club to her mother’s place, she looked so absorbed in her own thoughts that Junmyeon was not really able to find the right timing for him to strike up a conversation with the lady riding shotgun. So he just drove, with the unspoken understanding that she must be processing a lot already, after such a long-awaited reunion with her best friend. Not to mention it had been a very long day and surely she was exhausted.

Although, Junmyeon did pipe up when he needed Irene to give instructions about how to reach the building that Irene’s mother’s apartment was in. He was familiar with the route to Irene’s place when he picked her up earlier that day, but had never driven to her mother’s place before.

“So, do I turn left here?” He asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” she answered. “Then there’s a U-turn, and then turn right.”

“Got it.”

Junmyeon said no more, but this silence somehow served to remind Irene that, hey, this car ride was not supposed to be spent in silence.

“Junmyeon, I’m so sorry,” Irene began once they got out of the car. She also suddenly felt frustrated because it seemed like every time they saw each other, she was bound to have to apologize for something that more often than not could have been avoided. “I know that my reunion with Seulgi would not have been possible if it weren’t for you bringing me there as your plus-one. And yet I just kept regarding this occasion entirely as a chance to talk to her...I’m sorry I’ve been so engrossed in the reconciliation that I barely spent time with you.”

Junmyeon shrugged, smiling even more widely as if he was trying to convince her that he was not the least bit saddened by this. “It’s understandable, though. I see how much Seulgi means to you. You two haven’t talked in 6 years whereas we see each other almost every day and we talk every day. I won’t be jealous just because you valued her company over mine just for one evening.”

The more understanding Junmyeon was, the more frustrated Irene became, and she was frustrated that she was frustrated.

“I feel like I’ve basically neglected you the entire evening and pretty much just used you for my own purposes,” she went on insistently. “Then I had to rely on you to get rid of Jinsong for me and Seulgi. It’s like the whole world revolves around me or something.”

“It’s really not like that,” said Junmyeon. “I really don’t see it that way.”

“No, it was selfish of me. And I’ve also failed as your plus-one,” she concluded. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m like this. Anyway, I’ve already troubled you enough. I guess I’ll just...head up and check on Joy. Thanks for tonight, though. And I’m really sorry. I won’t do that again.”

She turned on her heel, but he stopped her in her tracks by gently circling his fingers around her wrist.

“Hey, wait,” he pleaded, letting go of her as soon as she turned around to face him. “You really don’t have to apologize for anything,” he added. “I don’t blame you. Please believe me.”

She shrugged. “Still, I feel bad for just...treating you as a means to an end.”

“No, this _party_ was a means to an end. As for me, I like to think that I mean more to you,” he replied boldly. “Please don’t feel bad, because…” he took a deep breath, sounding nervous. “Because I would just like to be able to do things that make you happy.”

Irene’s heart was beating fast again. Definitely not in the same panicky kind of way when she was trying to reach out to Seulgi just now. Right here with Junmyeon, the man who just wanted to make her happy, her heart was racing because it was trying to tell her some good news. But she had known it for quite some time already; it was just a matter of how long she was planning to wait before admitting it.

“Junmyeon,” she said sweetly, and broke into a smile. “I like you.”

Any frustration she might have had just now had certainly been dispelled. She did not want to feel bad about anything right now, or to think about feeling bad. She just wanted to focus all her attention on Junmyeon right now, not out of guilt but because this was the man she liked. Her feet were tired after wearing heels throughout the evening, but she would not mind taking just a step forward to stand even closer to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon was so surprised to hear Irene say that, but he also could not deny that he was inwardly rejoicing because of that. Even the butterflies in his stomach were rejoicing along with him, cheering him on. His head was buzzing with anticipation and he felt a kind of thrill coursing through his body, which was definitely not because he had had a few drinks at the party just now. And when she stepped closer to him, he could no longer tell which one of them initiated the kiss.

But nothing else mattered. All they knew was that their lips were meeting, and the way their lips touched was just too magical. Junmyeon felt Irene tenderly press her palm against his arm, slowly moving up to rest on his shoulder, a gesture that conveyed trust. Trust that she seldom showed, trust that he had most definitely earned. How nice it was to be immersed in their connection while losing track of time, just to savor, to treasure a moment like this. He had one arm around her waist and the other gently caressing the side of her face. The warmth he basked in came from not just their lips’ contact but also when she reached up to put her hand on his, motioning for him to keep it there. He knew the way to her heart, he knew it would not work to knock her walls down all at once. He would not mind patiently removing them brick by brick as long as it meant that he got to hold her like this, kiss her like this. It was perfect.

They pulled apart slightly, eyes fluttering open slowly, and both of them were smiling. Junmyeon was the one to speak first, awkwardly scratching the nape of his neck.

“I don’t want to be glaringly obvious but...I like you too,” he admitted, and both of them giggled. “Was sort of worried you wouldn’t like me back, but I’m glad you do. I’m so exhilarated right now, oh gosh — I feel like I can conquer the world!”

“To be honest, I can’t imagine not liking you,” replied Irene contentedly. “Thank you, Junmyeon, for everything.”

* * *

On the next weekday, Irene knew in advance that Junmyeon was going to be visiting her store during business hours. Even though it was just for work, she was so eager to see him.

“Jeez, you’re so obvious,” Kyungsoo teased as he observed the way Irene paced the store in anticipation. “I personally don’t mind being the third wheel but are you gonna have to make the client third-wheel you and your bunny-ahjussi as well?”

“Shhh,” Irene replied. “They could be here any minute.”

Indeed, Junmyeon and his client walked in as soon as Irene finished her sentence. She greeted them enthusiastically and showed them around, checking out some lamps and also a chandelier. When Junmyeon explained something about the blueprint of the living room in the client’s house, Irene just kept quiet and kept her eyes on Junmyeon. She was hanging on to his every word, watching his facial expressions change, observing his gesticulations...she also found herself smiling at him out of genuine mirth, not just the ‘business’ smile that she would give to every customer.

It was after almost an hour when the client had picked out the items he needed. Irene was very pleased that purchases were made; it had been a fruitful hour, time well spent.

The meeting was wrapped up with much success, and afterward Junmyeon walked the client to the nearest bus stop. On the way, they fixed a date and time for their next meeting.

After seeing the client off, Junmyeon returned to the store. Luckily, it was at the same time as when Kyungsoo was helping another customer on the other side of the store, which meant Irene was free for now.

“I’m glad it went so smoothly,” Irene piped up.

“Oh yeah! The client is actually someone that called me up after 3 or 4 years. I worked with him on his last home, but he’s moving house and now he’s got a bigger space. So I’m really excited to get to work on that, and it just feels so great to have long-term clients,” Junmyeon explained. “Makes me feel really good about myself.”

“I’m proud of you,” said Irene happily. “Also, I just realized that you can be quite persuasive when you want to be.”

“That’s just what comes with the job, I suppose,” Junmyeon replied blithely. “If you ask me, I'm not even half as persuasive as I would like to be when it comes to Yeri. But, hey, you’ve been staring at me all through the meeting just now. Is there something on my face?” He asked, reaching up to roam his hand across his chin, his cheeks, and finally his forehead.

“Nothing,” said Irene innocently. “I wasn’t even staring at all; what are you talking about?”

“Sure, if you say so.” Junmyeon laughed. “Anyway,” he added after a quick glance at the clock on the wall. “Wanna grab lunch together?” He asked. “It’s a date.”

“It’s a date?” She giggled. “In that case, yes. Definitely.”

* * *

Irene was truly thankful for all that Junmyeon had done for her, and for some time she had been thinking about how to repay him.

When she finally had an idea, she put it into action on Saturday. She knew that Junmyeon routinely opted to do his overtime work on Saturdays so he did not have to stay behind on weekdays and could go pick Yeri up punctually. So, on Saturday morning, Irene brought Joy to the daycare as usual. Kyungsoo convinced her that it was fine for him to run the store by himself in the morning, so she promised him that she would be back in the afternoon.

Irene spent the morning productively, preparing something special for Junmyeon. Once that was done, she was happily on her way to Junmyeon’s workplace. Locating the office that was marked with ‘Senior Designer Kim Junmyeon’ on the door, she knocked.

Junmyeon was originally frowning at his sketches, wondering why it was taking so long to finalize these sketches. It was just for a sitting area; he could not understand what was so challenging about it that it had taken up so much of his time. But when Irene showed up, his face lit up immediately.

“Hey!” He said, more than happy to welcome her. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to do something special for you,” she explained, excited to show him what she had prepared. “Are you ready for this?”

“Yes!” He answered.

She took out a reusable box from the reusable bag that she was carrying, and showed him what was inside. “See what you like?”

“Ooh, yes!” He gushed. “Macarons! Oh my gosh I love those. I’m going to devour them all. I'm going to do it _right now_. Watch me.”

Irene laughed. “I made plenty; I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to share some of these with your coworkers.”

“Oh, no,” Junmyeon replied as he shoved a macaron into his mouth. “They’re not the one dating you, so they don’t get to taste any of these.”

“I guess dating me comes with a lot of perks and privileges, huh?”

“Plenty. And it’s the best thing ever,” he declared with his mouth full. “You’re the best.”

Irene nodded proudly. “I’m glad you agree. Also, I can make these more often if you like.”

“Yeah, I’d love that,” said Junmyeon fondly. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“You said I looked single when we first met,” he stated. “Not at your store; I mean at the daycare.”

“Mm-hmm, I remember that. What about it though?”

“Do you still reckon I look single?” He asked, giggling as he reached for more macarons.

“Hmm…” she smiled mysteriously. “Actually, I have no idea why I said that back then. But since you asked, I’ll just say...nope. You look like the man of my dreams, though.”

He was very flattered, showing off his broad grin. “I sure hope you haven’t been having nightmares then.”

“Haven’t had any nightmares since we met at the daycare,” she admitted, and smiled sweetly.

She remembered telling Kyungsoo about how her past had traumatized and scarred her. But those burdens seemed to weigh nothing compared to how happy she was now, to be with Junmyeon and to have Seulgi back.

Her life had been chaotic for the most part, and she had made some decisions that she was not proud of. But it was every single one of these decisions that had led her here to where she was now, meeting Junmyeon and finding happiness with him.

At least, she could be proud of that.


End file.
